Rising of the New Heroes: Primal Split
by monfernova
Summary: A year passed since the Kamino Ward incident. People were living their live as usual but more villains run rampant. New heroes-in-training enter UA as Izuku and the others move to their second year. With the League of Villains growing bigger and as society adjusts to All Might's retirement, will they make it through the year? Diverts from MHA canon past Chapter 239 "Successor".(S5)
1. Chapter 0: Foreword

**Preface:** Hello. This piece of work was originally an idea of a user named Seraquin. Seraquin has previously completed 31 chapters for this story, however due to personal reasons, cannot continue further with this project. I approached Seraquin and asked to take the project on, and they seemed happy for this to continue. As a result, the first big decision to undertake was whether to keep these chapters untouched, or start all over again.

I have decided to start all over again (reboot the story), under a new subtitle: Primal Split. I will keep the structure of the current arcs intact, while addressing the narrative in my own writing style and possibly adding details to spice things up even more. This will mean the first 31 chapters may be fairly similar for veteran readers, however please bear with me as I weave it in my own little way until continuation. I thank you for your patience.

For new readers, welcome to this story! It is up to you whether you want to first read the original story or start with this reboot. Be assured, I drive to give you a great experience regardless.

Now, let's begin…


	2. Chapter 1: Saiga

"You're next", a blond man feebly pointed at the camera.

The man was very weak, his face covered in blood, his skinny dishevelled form barely standing. But the look in his azure blue eyes seemed as strong as they'd ever been.

A male teen was watching television, which showed the full encounter between this man, a hero, and a villain. But this wasn't just any hero. It was the Number 1 hero, also known as the Symbol of Peace. The villain he was fighting was equally potent, being the Symbol of Evil. Their fight was intense, as a range of different powers collided with each other, and the young teen's eyes were glued to the screen. He absentmindedly scratched at his own arms a bit, but he was too entranced to notice.

The villain was defeated, signifying a return to peace at last. Seeing the well-built muscular form of the public shrink into an emaciated shell surprised the male greatly. Everyone was surprised; it marked the end of an era.

"All…Might", the boy muttered as he looked at the television screen, his eyes glazed over.

A week passed and the boy barely had any sleep throughout. He was worried sick about his favourite hero; the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace. Due to his mere existence alone, villains wouldn't dare commit any crime. However, it had recently been confirmed that All Might was retiring, a fact which would shake the very foundation of society.

A lone crow soared through the air, arcing through the sky and swooping ominously into cover with a shriek. The boy followed its path with his eyes solemnly. The news had also confirmed that Best Jeanist, the number 4 hero was in critical condition and that the Pussycat's heroics were suspended as well. It was a dark time, and he could do nothing to fix it. He felt powerless. He instinctively reached to scratch is arm, but a noise from under the bridge nearby distracted him.

He approached to find a younger boy wearing the same uniform as him. The young boy was surrounded by three older boys, and was shortly after kicked in the stomach by what looked to be the ringleader. The All Might fan wanted to step in but…he couldn't risk another incident. Not like before. However, when he was one of the older boys reach for the victim's pockets, he instinctively picked up a rock and threw a rock in their direction.

"Huh? You got a problem?" the closest of the three snarled. His arm turned into rock. "Wanna see a real rock punk?" he gestured and approached the other teen. The other two teens also approached menacingly. One reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic ruler. He did something to it and it started glowing with energy. The third one didn't appear to have a power, or if so, he didn't use it. He assumed a boxing stance. "I knew this would pay off, who needs a Quirk?" he smiled amusingly.

The All Might fan felt heat rising up inside him. " _These scum…"_ he thought immediately, and one of his arms felt unusually hot. However, he calmed down very quickly after. "I-I…"he stammered but then looked away dejectedly. It didn't take long until the teen was covered in bruises. He tried to fight back, but his heart wasn't in it. And he knew that. He didn't have the guts. A whistle was blown, and a light shone into the tunnel bridge. Immediately, the older teens ran away, leaving both victims on the ground. A police officer with his bike approached the victims.

"Are you okay?", the office asked the bruised boy, to which the boy ensured him he'd be fine. "Man, ever since All Might's retirement, things have been getting ridiculous around here. Children attacking other children in broad daylight? This isn't right…not right at all. I'll investigate into those hoodlums mark my words".

They both turned to the first victim who had approached them without notice. He turned to the older boy, "Ummm…thank you", he said while fidgeting nervously.

The older boy smiled at him, and he suddenly felt a lot happier "no problem".

The police officer escorted the younger boy to school. Before they left the bridge, the boy turned around and asked "Who are you?" with fresh and renewed curiosity.

 _Is watching society burn and the weak suffer all I can do? No. That wasn't it. No way. A fire sparked in his heart._

"I'm Mitsuji Saiga! A hero-in training!" he spoke with determination, with a serious look on his face.

 **HERO:** A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.


	3. Chapter 2: Reassurance

Heroes: the dream profession of any young child. From fighting villains to rescuing civilians, heroes were the pillars that support the society of superpowered citizens. However, one pillar, the Symbol of Peace, gave away and could no longer support society. And now almost a year passed ever since his retirement.

A boy got out of his bed and readied himself for school. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw a long-haired boy with brown eyes staring right back. His uniform consisted of blue blazers, blue pants, and a green tie.

His name was Mitsuji Saiga, a wannabe hero. Originally, he just wanted to be a normal civil servant and live peacefully. This all changed when he saw All Might's final battle as a flame inside him sparked. The desire to make society peaceful made him want to become a hero. It was ironic. He always thought that people who wanted to be a hero were childish and now he was aiming to become one.

"Mitsuji! You're going to be late!", his mother told him. He scrambled to get his bag, and quickly waved a goodbye to his mother before departing his house. The blue sky greeted him and he knew, today would be a great day.

And of course, he was wrong.

The moment he stepped out of his house, something grabbed him and dragged him away.

 _Eh?_

Before he knew it, they were off the ground and flying.

 _EEHHHHH?!_

He looked at the one who captured him and saw that he was wearing a bat-like mask. He had wings that were acting like a jetpack that releases flames.

"If you behave yourself, you won't fall", the man threatened.

Hearing that, he became stiff as a rock and prayed. The height they were at already scared him and if he fell, he would definitely get hurt. That was why he prayed with all his might. _It's all cos of the fall of All Might,_ he thought dejectedly.

Mitsuji saw a blue blur chasing after them on the ground. He immediately identified him as the flash hero, Blur. Blur had superspeed that could easily surpass race cars and it was said he can generate whirlwinds by running around in circles.

Blur made a circle motion using his arms and a mini tornado came after the villain. The villain threw Mitsuji to the opposite direction of where he was running to. Blur ran as fast as he could and managed to catch him.

"Are you okay?", Blur asked.

"N-No", Mitsuji answered, his face pale. He had a fierce urge to scratch his arm bur refrained from doing so.

The hero wearing a blue suit laughed.

"Now then. You must be late for school. Want me to give you a lift?", he offered.

"What about the villain?"

"He already escaped. And besides, education is more important" the man smiled reassuringly.

Mitsuji thought about it and nodded.

"Your school is Ryusei High School?", Blur asked.

"Yes. How did you know?", Mitsuji asked back.

"The uniform didn't change at all. I'm an alumnus"

That shocked him. He never heard of alumni who became heroes from his school.

Blur picked him up and started running. Mitsuji was surprised. First, he thought they were going by car. Second, seeing how fast they were going made him nervous. If they were to crash, it would really hurt.

A minute later, they were already at the front of the school's gates.

"Have a safe day!", Blur said and ran off.

Mitsuji couldn't believe it. He was late because a villain abducted him. The teacher asked why he was late and he lied that he overslept. The reason he lied was that people probably won't believe him if he said that he got abducted and if they do, he would get bombarded by questions.

Classes ended and he was on his way home when he saw a giant monster was fighting a hero with a green suit. The monster looked like an ogre, but spoke like a man, although he only seemed to be laughing menacingly.

"Shoot Style: St. Louis Smash!", the hero shouted and kicked the villain causing him to be blown back.

"Awesome", Mitsuji muttered.

He noticed that a crowd was gathering and he decided to ask.

"Who's fighting?", Mitsuji asked.

"Dunno. I don't remember a hero like him", a man answered.

It was true. No one knew about the hero fighting in front of them. The way he fought, the names of his moves, it was almost like they were All Might's. Except that he uses his legs while the Symbol of Peace uses his hands.

"Weak blunt force trauma won't cut it huh…?" the hero mused out loud, touching his chin instinctively. "Hmmmm, how about air pressure then!" he decided and a beaming smile appeared on his face. He didn't act like a typical professional.

However, it was no denying that the hero was strong. One hit from him was enough to blow back a giant monster. The hero then flicked his finger and compressed air hit the face of the monster.

"Amazing. He's like…",

"All Might…", a voice beside him said.

He turned and saw a tall boy with white hair. The boy was wearing a red jacket with black shirt and on his head was a black fedora. He removed his black shades and revealed a pair of red eyes.

Mitsuji silently agreed with what the boy said. The hero was like All Might. He felt at ease when the hero was fighting and his "Smashes" were as strong as the man himself.

The monster fell down and the hero emerged victorious. People cheered and the police arrested the monster who turned into a small man after getting knocked unconscious.

"What's your name?", a person from the crowd asked causing everyone to be silent.

The hero had green hair and green eyes with freckles on his face. His green suit looked tough since it didn't show any signs of damage despite his strong attacks. He smiled and raised his fist. "Good work Hero Suit Epsilon" he said enthusiastically.

"I am…Deku!", he answered. Afterwards, he gave a very strong smile. Mitsuji had noticed that aspect of him was similar to All Might too. He always saved people with a smile.

Mitsuji clenched his fist and looked at the hero with wonder. _I…I want to be able to hold my head high like that too!_

 **Reassure:** Say or do something to remove the doubts or fears of (someone).


	4. Chapter 3: The Test

It was a cold day despite the sun's presence in the sky. Cold fog appeared every time the boy breathed and the air around him was bone-chilling. He wouldn't have been that comfortable if he hadn't worn a blue scarf and blue gloves. The weather report had said there would be a chill in the air. Something about a villain attack with cryogenic powers and the side effects from this.

Mitsuji was on his way from school. After a tiring day of classes, he wanted to crash on his bed and let himself drift off to dreamland. However, something stood in the way of that.

"Yo Mitsuji!", a voice greeted.

It came from a boy who was the same age as him and had green hair and blue eyes. He was tall and had a lean build. The boy's name was Mitsuo Takahashi, Mitsuji's friend. They had met in elementary school, and had hit it off due to sharing a similar name. " _Come to think of it, he was really impressed with what I could with a sandbox…of all the bizarre things"_ Mitsuji reminisced fondly.

"Hey Mitsuo…", Mitsuji greeted back. He smiled for the first time in the whole day.

"I heard you're actually trying for UA. I thought you didn't want to be a hero?", he asked inquisitively. There was no malicious intent there; it was a genuine question.

"That was in the past. The world needs more heroes now", Mitsuji said with renewed determination.

"I get what you mean. But are you sure you can handle it? I mean… you and your Quirk…" Mitsuo replied apprehensively.

"I'll find a way", Mitsuji said as he looked at his hand.

"Also, I won't be around. Are you sure you can survive? Remember last time? It was a miracle you weren't banned from becoming a hero from that incident. You gotta control your emotions man. The world of heroes is tough and tons of people will watch you. With your personality, I think you'll have a hard time there.", Mitsuo told him worriedly.

"I can handle a bit of pressure". Mitsuji said curtly.

"…Does it really have to be UA?" Mitsuo replied equally fast.

Mitsuji stopped in his tracks. He almost got a bit angry, but then sighed and calmed down.

"I mean… there are other schools out there. And you've heard what happened to UA last year. With the League of Villains out there, they'll target UA again. We can go to another school. I'll take a General Course while you become a hero" Mitsuo said haughtily.

"Sorry man. I'm not stopping. If I'm going to run away from those, I might as well quit being a hero. I know about my personality. I know about my Quirk. I know about the incidents in UA last year. And I'll face them all" Mitsuji said in a mature, deliberate tone.

Mitsuo smiled. He looked at his black-haired friend and saw the determination in his eyes. He thought that maybe… just maybe… his friend will become a great hero. That was why it was time for him to stop worrying. He was happy that Mitsuji, his nervous, shy, and clumsy friend, was becoming independent.

"Alright then. I can't stop you. But if you need anything, I'm here to help!", Mitsuo said.

"Thanks man…really. I appreciate how supportive you've been. And you're one of the reasons I'm gonna do this!" Mitsuji said, returning to a sense of cheer. They both headed back home.

###

Mitsuji looked out of his window and saw stars shining like diamonds in the sky. He was nervous of course. After all, tomorrow was the examination for UA. He acted all cool in front of his friend earlier but if he failed, he would look totally lame.

"Mitsuji! Time to eat!", his mother called.

He went downstairs to the dining room and found a meal prepared for two people. A woman with long red hair and brown eyes was wearing a red apron over a white shirt and black shorts. She was Mirai Saiga, the mother of Mitsuji Saiga.

"Where's Dad?", he asked.

"He'll be working overtime", she answered.

"And Sis?"

"Also overtime" she said without looking away from her food.

Mitsuji sat down and began to eat.

"Tomorrow is your big day so I made you extra servings", Mirai said warmly.

"Thanks Mum" he said gratefully and piled a bunch of katsu curry and rice onto his plate.

The food was delicious. After finishing the meal, Mitsuji went off to take a bath. The warm water soothed his body and he felt himself relaxing. The stress and tension were being dispelled from his body as he remained in the bathtub.

 _UA huh? Let's hope I can actually pass. I've been training for a while and I think I'm ready. I hope the other examinees aren't that competent_ , he thought.

He got to his bed after taking a bath and crashed into it. He fell asleep immediately. Mitsuji had a dream, and in it he was being hailed as a great hero by all the peers and fans around him. However, at the back of a crowd he noticed a small girl. She didn't look happy. She looked sad and nervous. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked up and gave him a haunting look. Mitsuji awoke with a cold sweat. Somehow, this dream or nightmare had chilled him to his very core but also made him steadfast.

Morning came and he was prepared. UA was a popular school so the competition would be rough. He was bound to face strong people and amazing Quirks. Mitsuji hoped that he wouldn't be facing off against strong individuals. He needed a chance, some sort of chance. Anything.

He arrived at UA's gates and looked around. Students from different schools were walking towards the main building. This was it… It was his first step towards becoming a hero.

The black-haired boy lifted his foot, leaned his body forward, and safely landed his foot. That was all. No special effects or anything. But that was enough for him. He was going to be a hero.

He entered a classroom where the written exams were supposed to be held. When the time hit 8, the written exams started. Mitsuji had little to no problem answering since he studied a lot. He felt that he wouldn't fail in the written portion... or at least that was what he hoped. After the written exams was the practical exam. The orientation for it was held in the auditorium.

Inside the auditorium, different students were sitting restlessly. Even though it wasn't time yet, they felt nervous. This was the top hero school after all and all of them were aiming to get in it. The fact that most of them wouldn't make the cut placed fear and nervousness in their body.

The same went for Mitsuji. He was shaking even though it was warm. A tall and slender man with long spiky blonde hair entered the auditorium. He had sunglasses on and a pair of headphones. His outfit consisted of a black jacket that had an upturned collar, black pants, black boots, and black fingerless gloves. The man was the pro hero, Present Mic.

"HELLO LISTENERS!", he greeted with a loud voice.

Everyone was silent.

 _Calm down. I can do this! Look at the people around you!_

He looked to his left and saw a familiar white-haired boy. The boy slumped on the table and listened quietly.

 _See? He's relaxed… Maybe too relaxed. He must be strong. Oh no. He's definitely going to pass if he's that confident. I wish I had the same confidence as him._

Mitsuji looked to his right and saw a boy with long shaggy brown hair. His eyes were of different colour where one is light blue and the other is flame orange. He was lazily sitting on a chair with his back slouched and his chin resting on his right hand.

 _That's the ideal level of relaxation. Not too relaxed but not too nervous. I wish I was like him._

The brown-haired boy looked at Mitsuji back and smiled. He waved his hand at him and returned to listening. Mitsuji wondered how the boy noticed that he was looking at him.

Present Mic explained the rules of the practical exam. It was a robot smashing test. There would be four types of robots in the exam and as their strength increases, so do their corresponding points when they are destroyed. However, there was one giant robot per testing area that was powerful but worth 0 points.

 _So, all I need is to avoid it huh? T-That's okay. I'm not into fighting giant robots anyway,_ Mitsuji thought.

After the explanation, they changed into their preferred combat outfit. Mitsuji wore a dark blue tracksuit and white rubber shoes. He took deep breaths to calm himself down and after that, he boarded the bus.

The bus arrived at the testing area and the examinees entered the area. The testing site was huge and had many tall buildings. It was like a small city instead of a testing site which showed how well-funded and how well-equipped UA was.

 _Calm down! C-Calm down! Everything's going to be a-alright. Just think of them as vegetables. Yep, vegetables. That way… it won't be that nerve-wrecking. Just relax and take deep brea-_

"START!", Present Mic's voice echoed and everyone started running. Mitsuji ran too, however, something in him had changed. He had prepared for this. He needed to act. It was now or never.

Robots appeared and one blocked Mitsuji's path.

 _1… 2…,_ he thought and red flames emerged out of his arms.

Mitsuji shot flames at the robot and it overheated and exploded.

 _That's one._

Another robot charged at him.

 _1… 2…_

He touched the ground and cracks formed. A crater appeared where the robot was and it fell. The ground repaired itself and crushed the poor robot.

 _That's two._

Two robots went towards his way and Mitsuji jumped up and counted to two. Electricity shot out of his arms and short-circuited the robots. Smoke came out of the robots as their systems were fried.

"Four already. That's nice", he muttered and ran, trying to find robots.

Mitsuji destroyed robots one after another using his Quirk. Lightning, earth, and fire destroyed his targets one by one as he gained points. He also helped people who were surrounded by robots or were in a tight spot. "Thank you!" a girl with all black clothes and messy black hair beamed enthusiastically. "My Quirk is pretty bad against these things" she said wistfully. _That's nice and all, but I don't have time for this_ thought Mitsuji. He was in a different zone in the heat of combat. If he performed well, he could usually keep his nervousness at bay. If he performed well.

His Quirk was called Primal Split. He can use fire, lightning, and earth. However, he can only use one element at a time. Also, it would take 2 seconds for him to switch to an element. And if that wasn't enough, he could only use an element for 30 seconds until he has to switch or wait for another 2 seconds to use the same element.

"That's already 20 of them. How many points did I already get?", Mitsuji wondered aloud.

The ground started to shake and a giant robot appeared. He immediately realized it was the robot that was worth 0 point. All he had to do was run away. He couldn't defeat it at his current level. It was too big to be burned or short-circuited and making a hole big enough to trap it would take too much energy.

He was about to run but something even stranger happened. A giant mantis shrimp appeared out of nowhere. Everyone watched the mantis shrimp deliver a punch to the robot and blow it away. The robot attacked with a chop but the insect blocked it and countered with a strong punch. The punch was strong enough to bend the robot's frame. The insect unleashed a barrage of punches and the robot exploded from the damage.

"Amazing…", Mitsuji muttered.

When the robot was defeated, the giant mantis shrimp disappeared. Mitsuji was about to go to the location of the fight hoping that he would meet the holder of the insect Quirk but…

"TIME'S UP!", Present Mic announced.

All of the adrenaline in his body disappeared as his knees fell down. He ran out of breath and felt like puking. His nervousness returned since the exams were over and all he could do was wait for the results.

 _What if I didn't do well? Maybe I should have destroyed more robots. Ahhh! I should've studied more in Science! What if I fail in the written part? Or maybe I didn't do good enough in the practical? Or what if both?_ Mitsuji panicked. He scratched at his arm instinctively.

His heartbeat became faster than a ferocious carnivore and his vision was getting blurry. Pain came from his chest and his breathing became irregular.

"No... way...", he muttered and then passed out.


	5. Chapter 4: Results

It had been some time since the UA examination and a certain someone was slumped over his desk.

"Cheer up dude", Mitsuo told his friend. He looked over at Mitsuji. He couldn't understand why Mitsuji was so worried when from what he'd heard, he'd done pretty well.

"How can I cheer up? What if I fail? What if I was just one robot away or one correct answer to UA? Ahhhh… What should I do? Forget about being a hero who'll bring peace. If I don't pass UA, I'll be hopeless!", Mitsuji said in a gloomy manner.

"You're making it sound like people who don't pass are hopeless", Mitsuo replied while scratching his head. He thought his friend finally grew up but he was acting like his normal nervous self.

"Relax. You did fine. Your Primal Split is an amazing Quirk so the practical exam must be easy and I'm sure you studied enough for the written portion", Mitsuo assured his friend.

"But there are even more amazing Quirks out there. I mean… I saw a huge mantis shrimp appear out of nowhere and destroy a giant robot. If UA is filled with those Quirks, I won't stand a-", he was cut off by a punch to the head from Mitsuo.

"You're too negative! How can you bring hope and peace when you're all negative?" Mitsuo said sharply.

"Sorry", Mitsuji muttered. He sank further onto his desk.

Mitsuo eventually went home.

Mitsuji still felt pretty bad. After all, he had fainted out of nervousness when the exams finished. The other examinees probably know his face as a weakling who couldn't handle that much suspense. He rolled all around his bed while shouting "Embarassing!" until his mother told him to shut up.

Mitsuji looked at his hand and flames emerged out of it. Being careful not to burn anything, he stared at the flame. The warm feeling he felt every time he saved someone was the feeling he want to experience again. And protecting the smiles of the people was enough motivation for him. Then how come the flames of his determination were easily suppressed with nervousness? His older sis didn't face the same problems as him. At least if he performed well, he'd stay calm. If he performed well.

"Mitsuji. A letter from UA is here", his mother said as she knocked on the door and he shrieked.

After putting out the small fire in his room (he used earth soil from his pot plant to smother it,) he got the letter which contained a hologram disc. A video automatically played and it showed a weird animal wearing a fancy suit. It had a scar going across his right eye. Mitsuji knew that it was Nezu, the principal of UA.

"Hello there, Saiga. I am Nezu, the principal of UA", he introduced himself.

Mitsuji's heart raced. It was time for the results and he hoped that he passed.

"I am pleased to inform you that you passed UA's exams", Nezu said.

His eyes widened and he jumped up.

"YAAAHOOOO!", Mitsuji shouted out of the window and the old man walking outside his house was surprised.

"Your performance in the testing area passed the bar UA set and you did well in the written exam. The Symbol of Peace is long gone and we need more heroes than ever to protect the innocent and bring justice. However, we noticed that you were quite nervous during the exams and even fainted when the practical exam ended", Nezu said.

Mitsuji lowered his head. That was one weakness he had. He was always nervous. Bullies would make fun of him just because he was a nervous boy and if it wasn't for Mitsuo, he wouldn't have lived in peace in junior high. And now the nervous kid was planning on becoming a hero. If the school deems him unworthy because of his nervousness, it would be disastrous for him.

"That's why we need you. You are very welcome here in UA", the principal said.

"Hah?"

"Despite your nervousness and fear, you managed to do what you need to do. It takes a strong will to do what you did. And we will mould you using your will to become a strong hero. Now, Saiga… Welcome to UA. This is your hero academy!" He extended his arm, and it felt like Mitsuji could touch him through the screen. Mitsuji tried not to yell in excitement. He decided to tell his mother.

"I'm proud of you Mitsuji" she said calmly but happily, "I may be a bit hard on you, but I do recognise when you're trying your best. Now eat your dinner!" she said. Mitsuji decided to wolf his omelette down. His mother decided to do some early washing up. What he didn't notice was the single tear of happiness she shed.

###

Mitsuji stood in front of a giant door with the words 1-A on it. His heart raced. The people who passed were behind the door and would immediately judge him the moment he would enter the room. He had to make sure he would give the best first impression he could give. Mitsuji opened the door and everyone's gazes were directly at him. He felt his heart stop.

 _Calm down. They are my classmates. We will work together in our stay in UA so I shouldn't be afraid of them_ , he thought.

He looked at the seating arrangement and went to his seat.

"Hey. You're the boy who passed out after the exams!", a voice exclaimed beside him.

Mitsuji wanted to cry. He forgot that people from his testing area would be in his class too and would remember him.

The voice's owner belonged to a boy with neon blue hair and neon green eyes. He looked at Mitsuji with concern in his eyes.

"Were you okay after that? What happened? Why did you pass out? Was that because of your Quirk?", he bombarded him with questions.

"O-O-One at a time please", Mitsuji pleaded.

"Sorry. It's just that I saw you fight and your Quirk was awesome. You were like zap and whoosh and boom! I was surprised to see you faint"

"Ahahaha… My Quirk is nothing special"

"That's not true at all. After all, there are people who wanted to be heroes but don't have the Quirk for it. If you made it here, then that means you're hero material!", he encouraged and smiled.

"Thanks for the encouragement", Mitsuji said.

"No problem! I'm Kai Hikari!" the boy said with a confident but friendly smile.

"Mitsuji Saiga…"

"Let's be great heroes!" Kai proclaimed extending his right hand.

They shook hands. Mitsuji was relieved to meet a kind person in his first day. He expected his classmates to be more focused on their goal.

"All right everyone. Go to your seats", the teacher told them as he entered the room.

The teacher was a slightly tanned man with brown hair in a flattop and black eyes. He was muscular and was wearing an unbuttoned black suit jacket over a white shirt that was tucked into black pants, black boots, and black gloves.

"Good morning kiddos! Welcome to your life in UA!", he greeted with a weird accent.

Everyone looked at him. They knew that the teachers in UA were also pro heroes but they didn't recognize the man in front of them.

"I'm Matthew Kidder, your homeroom teacher. I may be getting old but don't let that fool you. I can still beat some lessons into you young kiddos!", he introduced himself and revealed a pistol and a submachine gun. The class gaped. _What an introduction_! _,_ was all of their first thoughts.

"Everyone we have the entrance ceremony so let's go to the gym! Follow me!

The students of Class 1-A followed the odd man. Everyone was doubting his identity. His weird accent and his name made them think that he was a foreigner. But what kind of hero was he?

They arrived at the gymnasium where the principal was waiting. Present Mic was playing some beats in the background and Midnight, the 18+ Only Hero, handed out the student handbook to them.

The principal welcomed them to UA and started his speech about heroism and how society will need them. He also talked about how they should act, what they should expect from UA, and… he talked about everything there is to know about UA. Everyone was getting bored and was restless but the principal showed no sign of stopping.

After a long time, the principal finished his speech. Everyone arrived at the classroom.

"Well… that took longer than expected", Matthew said.

Everyone was tired from sitting and they groaned when they heard they were going to sit in the classroom again.

"Here are the rules you have to know in UA", Matthew told them and started orienting them about UA.

They discussed its history and what they should expect from it. The Code of Conduct, the prime values, and other things were discussed. Afternoon came and they were dismissed. They were warned that tomorrow would be the start of normal classes already.

"By the way, you guys have to go to the dorm, right? Your things were already moved during the day and the room arrangements were done already. Let's go there already!", the homeroom teacher told them.

"Dorm huh? I'm getting excited!", a boy with dark dirty blonde hair said.

"Yay! This is exciting! Dorm life here we come!", a girl with short messy black hair cheered. Mitsuji recognised her from the practical exam. She noticed him and gave him a smile. Mitsuji looked away with a red face immediately. Kai noticed this and looked confused.

 _Crap…. Dorm?! No one told me about this! What should I do? Mom wouldn't be around? Sis wouldn't be able to help me? I'm all alone?!_

"Are you okay, Saiga?", Kai asked him who was holding his stomach.

"Y-Y-Yeah. Just having stomach problems", Mitsuji answered.

This was the start for everyone's dreams. They were one step closer to their dream of becoming a hero. And one student was having stomach problems.


	6. Interlude 1: The Ghoul Factory

_**Elsewhere: In an abandoned factory far from civilisation…**_

"Aggggggggggh!" the woman screamed, being awoken from her slumber. She'd had a horrible nightmare. In the nightmare, she was a small girl. Powerless, timid and frail. It was just the worst. She was at the back of a crowd, and she was starving and cold. A tattered dress clung to her body, caked in mud and blood. From the back of the crowd, she could just about make out a brown-haired man, being cheered on by others. He looked confident and mature. One fan yelled out "Go Calamity!" and the man, while initially taken aback, smiled and waved back. It was all so damn horrible. Scum with Quirks being hailed as heroes. When Quirks were if anything, the key component holding back the evolution of humanity. The true humanity.

The woman sighed and, after taking a few deep breaths, turned to reach for a glass of water. In doing so, she passed a mirror. What looked back at her resembled a horror. But it was her after all – red rings surrounding her red sunken eyes like a weld mark, unhealthy pale skin covered in a number of half-sewn on stiches. She had fiery red hair, which she subsequently tied up in a ponytail, and she changed from practical night wear into a simple tank top and lab coat, alongside a pair of jeans. She looked over and scanned her surroundings; a derelict, dingy factory. Cobwebs lined the walls, and there was a thin layer of dust on most surfaces. From a short distance she heard a bloodcurdling scream. This was nothing new.

 _Good Waltrude. Be a good piece of trash and monitor the test subjects._ A sound from nearby alerted her suddenly, and she immediately reached for a revolver next to her bedside. A well-built man who looked to be about in his mid-40s stepped out of the shadows and addressed her. He wore a clean and expensive navy suit with a brown tie, and clean navy suit trousers.

"Now now, is that any way to treat your guests Emilia?" he chuckled magnanimously. _I hate when he cajoles me like a damn child_ was Emilia's immediate thought. He looked to where the scream had come from, continuing with "Working Waltrude hard again? You should treat her with more care! Why when I had siblings, I made sure I was at least nice to them before I disposed of them…"

 _Damn fool. I hate his condescending manner._ She thought.

 _Stupid woman. If I were in charge of the whole operation, we'd make greater strides_ he thought.

"How goes the procurement of test subjects Daisuke?" Emilia asked promptly. "All good. We're at green status. How are those two new recruits looking out in the field? They gone for a test drive yet?" enquired Daisuke. "Well about that…" she replied and motioned towards one of the monitors in her study…

 _ **Kiyashi Ward Streets, Tokyo**_

A fierce battle was underway, and it was the one being assessed by Emilia. A 6' 3" man in a Red V-neck sweater and tattered jeans was licking the sharp end of a combat knife. He was hunched over with black spiky hair which drooped down, and he was also completely bare foot. His feet were caked in splinters but he didn't mind. If anything, he relished in it. His forehead and eyed were covered by a black scarf, leaving only his nose mouth and hair uncovered. His red eyes seemed demonic and manic.

"Come onnnnnnnn…. that's all you got?" he laughed hysterically. "Wow your blood tastes GOOD, HOT DAMN!" he then exclaimed, and started panting slightly.

The man opposite him had light blue neat hair. The man was quite slim and not very built. He wore grey shades and a grey beanie hat. He also wore a red t shirt and black shorts, even though it was cold outside. All in all, he was ill suited for a combat encounter.

"Luckily I evacuated all the civilians from this block. Doubt they'd want to see this brand of crazy." He spoke nonchalantly, almost as if he was bored.

"Ya know, I was actually getting a bit peckish….I dunno if you'll satisfy me to be brutally and violently honest" the madman said sizing the bored man up.

Without warning, the bored man threw a kunai directly at the madman's forehead, however a chain crept out from his turtleneck and deflected it, almost instinctually. The madman just cackled at the attack.

"A projectile? Yeah good luck with that man…I'll show you something to really fear!" said the madman, his eyes glowing red. Suddenly, the other man froze up, and he started sweating profusely. He remained silent though. This seemed to anger the madman. He was used to his prey screaming in abject terror whenever he used his Quirk on them.

His name was Jack Deathringer, and he had become quite the serial killer in these parts. His alias was coined as Jack the Ripper after the famous English tale. His Quirk was Fear Gaze. When he looks into another person's eyes unobstructed, he causes the person to experience their worst fears at the time. This makes them freeze up and become immobile. So, if they manage to overcome it, then the fear will change to the next thing they are afraid of. It could be insect, other people, or reliving a past experience in life. The drawback to this is that eye to eye contact must be maintained, it can only effect one person at a time, and Jack also experiences the fears of the person he is looking at. In this case, the fear was "I'm afraid of dying". But that didn't seem to match the man's reactions. He still seemed bored, it was more of a sadness than a terror.

"Well whatever" he said, "I'm getting bored now, and you seem like a crappy snack at best. I can wait until I'm hungrier. Maybe I'll keep you in the fridge or something" he exclaimed and suddenly sprinted towards the other man so fast that he couldn't keep up, wrapping one of his chain snakes around his neck and choking him. At the same time, he made three stab wounds for the heart, stomach and liver respectively. He waited in this stance for two minutes, until the man's head slumped forward. The killer checked for a pulse. Nothing. While he was contemplating chopping his kill up to store in a fridge, suddenly he felt extremely scared and vigilant. Two men suddenly burst through the concrete mere inches from them. One wore black plated light armour, with red blood stains all over it, and a black helmet with two horns in ear like positions. This was the number 12 hero, Blood Knight. He was so elusive that no one had seen him outside of his costume. The other man was dressed like a shogun, having two katana strapped to his side, a grand fur coat and a samurai helmet. He had black clean-cut hair, brown narrow eyes and a lean but muscular body.

Without words, this man unsheathed a katana, and when he sliced through the air, a sharp shockwave emitted from the blade and Blood Knight narrowly avoided it, however it edged the tip of his right horn and cut it clean off. Upon this happening, Blood Knight roared in fury and grabbed the samurai man's face smashing it into a nearby window. The man didn't move.

"He'll walk it off" Blood Knight grunted, before turning his attention to Jack. He then looked at the dead hero. However, he didn't seem to elicit much emotion. "You probably shouldn't have done that. He was already a pain to deal with before." the man said seriously.

"What the heck are you talking about" Jack retorted and activated his Quirk on the new challenger. However, the shock of what he saw made even him freeze. He was overwhelmed with pressure, stress and anxiety. Feelings of needing to be the best hero no matter what, and a strong sense of justice. It made Jack sick.

Blood Knight froze for a couple of seconds but then roared in anger, moving inch by inch closer to Jack, before successfully throwing a haymaker at him knocking him to the floor. This was the Quirk that had gotten him to rank 12. His Quirk was Fiery Blood. This granted him insane willpower – the more motivated he was by feelings of justice, the stronger he became. In fact, it seemingly had very little limit, allowing him to overpower a lot of immobilizing Quirk's and shrug off attacks from the strongest Quirks, giving him crazy power and durability. The one drawback to this apart from being erasable if so desired, is that a proficient long ranged Quirk user would shut him down pretty effectively. But it seems the samurai had not been effective enough. Jack screamed and immediately rolled from his position to where the other man was.

"Koki you bastard, WAKE UP!" he screeched, lifting Koki by the body, and hoisting him over his shoulder, before glaring back at Blood Knight. He then started to make a getaway. Blood Knight was about to follow when a voice halted him.

"Leave it. The civilians are safe, and following them may be a trap". Blood Knight turned around and the blue haired man was standing up. He still had three red patches where he had been stabbed, and cut marks on his neck. But he was alive. His name was Daifuku Kuzunoha, and he was immortal.

His Quirk was Resurrect; he would always come back to life after death. However, if his head was cut off, that would actually kill him permanently. Also, he couldn't sleep, and every death he had lowered his emotional capacity. He had now died three times.

"Agh. Now you're going to be even more deadpan I guess." Blood Knight retorted insensitively.

"Yes, that's correct" Daifuku reported, which just proved Blood Knight's point. Blood Knight then received a phone call. After a few minutes he hung up. "Come on we gotta go."

"Who was it?" asked Daifuku

"Endeavour" replied Blood Knight gravely, following with "This may run deeper than we thought…".


	7. Chapter 5: Students Fight!

Morning classes were regular classes. Sciences and humanities were taught to them by pro heroes and a certain boy with blue green eyes couldn't keep calm in the presence of esteemed heroes. For Mitsuji, it was actually relaxing to be able to just sit, take down notes, and listen to the teacher. It wasn't that nerve-wracking or at least… it wasn't supposed to be nerve-wracking until their English teacher, Present Mic, decided to make him read out a passage from their book out loud.

"I-I am always saying "G-Glad to h-have met you" to s-somebody I'm not at all glad I met. I-If you want to-to stay alive, you have to say that stuff though", he stuttered. His heart raced.

Present Mic didn't look impressed and he felt that his classmates must be judging him real hard.

"You can sit down now", the teacher told him.

He sat down and felt the stares of his classmates. Mitsuji thought that they might be wondering what a nervous guy like him was doing in UA. The thought itself made him want to dig a hole and hide in it.

Lunch time came and he sat alone in the canteen. He missed the times when Mitsuo would come over and they would eat lunch together. Mitsuo would often joke around and Mitsuji would forget his worries for a while. He made a bitter smile as he realized how he took those days for granted.

"Mind if I sit here?", Kai asked.

"S-Sure", he answered.

They ate silently.

"Hey. Why are you so nervous?", Kai asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. It's just in me. Whenever I try something new or when someone is observing me, I'm bound to mess up and so I get nervous", Mitsuji explained.

"Wouldn't that get in the way if you will become a hero?"

Mitsuji felt down after he heard that. He already knew that he had to get rid of his nervousness if he wanted to become a hero but it was harder than he thought. His nervousness was with him ever since he was a child and so getting rid of it was like telling himself to cut off a part of him.

"Don't worry! UA will definitely toughen you up and make you a great hero!", Kai assured him.

"Y-Yeah"

Lunch time ended and it was time for the main event. Afternoon classes were heroics classes and they would spend their time training to become heroes. The facilities they would use were top-class and will make sure to strengthen them.

Everyone was waiting at the classroom and a skinny man with blond hair walked in. He was wearing a yellow suit and was holding a folder.

"Hello everyone, I'm Toshinori Yagi, your teacher in heroics", he introduced himself.

"Ahhh! All Might!", the boy with blue green eyes from earlier exclaimed as he stood up and pointed his finger.

"All Might?!"

"Him?"

"That's right! I saw him in that form a couple of times in TV!"

All Might let out a small laugh as he tried to calm everyone down.

"That's true. I am known as the hero, All Might. But that was a long time ago. Now I'm just a retired hero who's preparing the next generation of heroes. Fighting villains isn't the only way to promote peace. Even though I've become weak, I can still contribute to the peace by churning out wonderful heroes from the zygotes in front of me! That's why, we must work together! Everyone! Today will be history!"

Everyone clapped after his speech. Even though he looked different, they felt hope and peace radiating from him as if to say that society wouldn't crumble while he was still existing.

"Now then, take your costumes and we'll have battle training! Head to Ground Beta after you've changed!", Toshinori shouted and pointed at the wall.

Shelves emerged from the wall and contained suitcases with numbers. Before they enrolled in UA, the students submitted their Quirk Registration, physical measurements, and desired designs so that a support company under exclusive contract with the school could prepare state-of-the-art costumes for them. And now, they were about to wear their costumes for the first time.

Before everyone headed off, Mitsuji tried to ask All Might a question. "U-uh…sir All Might…there was a hero who fought just like you the other day…he even had a similar Quirk?". At this, All Might laughed and said "Of course, everyone's unique but similar Quirks still pop up now and again. How interesting!" before quickly walking off. Mitsuji detected a hint of nervousness, and briefly wondered about it.

Everyone went to Ground Beta, an urban training area in UA. After changing into their costumes, they stepped into the city and saw Toshinori waiting for them.

Mitsuji's costume was a white jumpsuit with blue shoulder pads. He had red knee pads and green gloves and boots. His jumpsuit was made of a special material that was cut-proof and fireproof. Also, he has a grey belt that contained bandages, and other first-aid necessities.

"Ohhhh. Cool costume man!", Kai exclaimed.

Kai was wearing a light blue condor MOPC that has a solar panel and gloves with even smaller solar panels. The gloves' fingertips have sturdy glass screens and his lower clothes consisted of grey shorts and black shoes.

"Same to you", Mitsuji returned the compliment.

"In this exercise, you will be fighting indoors in pairs. One group's goal is to protect a special object for 15 minutes or capture the enemy while the other's goal is to retrieve the special object within 15 minutes. Now then! Everyone! Draw lots!", Toshinori explained.

Everyone was riled up. They drew lots and Mitsuji found out that he was paired with Kai, much to his relief.

"So… you're our enemy huh?", a tall boy with dark dirty blond hair and orange eyes asked the two of them.

He didn't have a hero costume yet since he was wearing UA's PE uniform.

"Yep. I'm Kai Hikari! Nice to meet you!", Kai said while Mitsuji was intimidated.

"Narruk Mondronen", he introduced himself.

His eyes looked wild which made Mitsuji even more nervous. He knew that Narruk was strong especially since he had an intimidating scar in his right cheek. Mitsuji thought that he must've been through many battles to receive such a scar. Another person approached them.

"I'm Suzumi Midoriya. It's a pleasure to meet you", a girl with straight green hair and green eyes introduced herself.

They all looked at Mitsuji as they waited for his introduction. It took him a while to get their signal.

"M-M-My name's M-Mitsuji Saiga! N-Nice to meet you!", he managed to introduce himself. They wondered why he was so nervous.

"Okay. Wear this", Toshinori told them as soon as they were finished introducing themselves.

It was an earphone.

"This will communicate you with your teammate. Also, whatever you say will be heard in the observer's room", he explained.

 _Whaatt? So that means they'll hear everything?! They say that I breathe loud! It's embarrassing!,_ Mitsuji thought.

"Also, your battle will be seen in the observer's room!"

 _WHAT? So that means they see everything? I can't mess up!_

"Finally, second year students will see your performance as it is part of their class' lessons. So go ahead and show a good fight!"

 _WHAAAT?! Our upperclassmen will see this?! So that means I will embarrass myself in front of many people!_

Mitsuji felt himself almost fainting. But he held on. _Not this time._ He steeled himself for the coming trials.


	8. Chapter 6: Saiga vs Mondronen

Izuku Midoriya, a young hero-in-training of Class 2-A, entered his classroom for afternoon classes. His green eyes looked straight ahead unlike when he was in his first year because he gained confidence.

"Deku!", a brown-haired girl called him.

"What is it, Ochaco?", he asked. Gone were the days he'd call her Uraraka-san; they now shared a solid trusting relationship.

"I'm glad to see you today! You have no hero-work to do?"

Izuku shrugged.

"It's just the second day of class. Pro heroes wouldn't want to get in the way of my education", he said.

"Izuku! Ochaco! You guys are attending class?", a tall man with glasses asked.

"Tenya, it's still the second day of class. Unless the class rep wants us to skip", Ochaco teased.

"Nonsense! Everyone's already here and we're just waiting for Aizawa-sensei to come" he said, waving his arms around erratically.

Izuku looked at his classmates. They went through so much last year that they formed unbreakable bonds with each other. Calling each other by first names, sharing difficulties, there was no sense of awkwardness between them. Although there were some people who had questionable personalities, everyone was comfortable with each other.

"Everyone, go to your seats", a long-haired man with bandage-like cloths wrapped around his neck said.

"Today you will be observing the first training exercise of Class 1-A", he announced.

"What the hell? We don't have the time to be observing! We have to train!", a boy with ash blond hair shouted.

Everyone muttered in agreement.

"I know this seems like a waste of time but this is an exercise for you as well", Aizawa said.

The class became silent.

"When you become pro heroes and set up agencies, you will need sidekicks. You must be able to observe your sidekick's capabilities so that your team will be efficient. Also, it is your responsibility to train your sidekicks so that they will grow into wonderful heroes. That's why you must look at the young people on the screens and listen to them. They will be heroes like you and you must see their strengths and weaknesses", he explained.

"1st years! I hope there are cute girls there!", Minoru said with a nasty look.

"Let's see if there are manly people out there!", Eijiro exclaimed and punched his hardened fists together.

"Without further ado, let's watch it live", Aizawa said and everyone was sort of excited.

"It's impossible", a voice said over the speakers.

"Hah?"

"Calm down, Saiga. We are going to ace this! Just believe in yourself!", another voice told the other one.

"B-B-But this is real combat! We're not fighting robots! We c-could hurt people and g-get hurt! Uwaaaah! Why am I here?!", the first voice shouted, covering his head with his arms and looking down. He then touched the floor.

The screen showed two boys. One was wearing a white suit and was curled up in a ball. Another boy had neon blue hair and light blue outfit with grey shorts. The boy was patting the back of the one who was curled up.

"Calm down. Come on. We can do this! Just stand up and shout ORA!", the boy with neon blue hair shouted.

"My stomach hurts", the boy in a white suit muttered.

"What is this?", Izuku asked, visibly concerned.

###

Kai was troubled. He knew that Mitsuji was a nervous kid but he didn't expect it to be that bad.

"First match! Kai Hikari and Mitsuji Saiga versus Narruk Mondronen and Suzumi Midoriya! Begin!", a voice announced.

Mitsuji let out a shriek and Kai looked at him with concern.

"Saiga… I want you to patrol around our perimeter", Kai told him politely.

"P-P-Patrol?", he asked.

"Yeah. If you see the enemy, alert me and buy as enough time as you can. You can do that… right?"

"I-I'll try" Mitsuji stammered.

Mitsuji walked out of the room. Kai knew this was the best way. If Mitsuji would tell him where the enemy was, he could prepare and best-case scenario, Mitsuji would be able to take one down. The worst case was Mitsuji getting ambushed and the battle becoming two-versus-one.

Meanwhile, Mitsuji was walking as silently as he could while looking around carefully. He was mumbling how he wished that his patrol wouldn't yield any results. Boy was he wrong.

The moment he took a turn, he saw a boy in UA's PE uniform and a girl with a green hooded shirt, walking in his direction.

"Gaaah! Enemy! Enemy! Second floor left corner!", Mitsuji told his comrade over his earphone.

Narruk's PE uniform ripped to pieces as he transformed into an 8-ft tall werewolf.

"Midoriya! Leave this one to me! Go to the alternate route!", Narruk ordered her calmly and she ran.

Narruk Mondronen, Quirk: Lycanthrope. He can transform into an 8-ft tall werewolf with black fur. His Quirk enhances his physical abilities and senses. Also, his powers are affected by the lunar cycle.

Narruk charged at Mitsuji and threw a punch. Mitsuji managed to avoid it by jumping back, but just barely. Narruk threw a right hook followed by a jab but Mitsuji ducked under the first one through an accidental slip, which enabled him to sidestep the second one.

 _1…2…_

Flames erupted from Mitsuji's arms and Narruk backed away. He shot off flames from his hands but Narruk evaded all of them, jumping all over the place with his wolfish abilities. Any time he seemed to be cornered, he'd use his agility to jump off a wall into less cornered space. Narruk tried to get close but Mitsuji made a hot flame pillar cover his body and forced him to stay away.

 _28…29…30_

The flames died down and Narruk looked confused. However, he didn't pass up the opportunity and charged.

 _1…2…_

Flames emerged again and Mitsuji shot a ball of fire to Narruk to which he ducked under. A small trail of flame had singed his hide but Narruk barely registered it. A pillar of flame covered Mitsuji again and Narruk was forced to stay away.

 _28…29…30…_

Mitsuji's flames disappeared and Narruk was calmly observing his opponent.

 _Is he luring me in by showing obvious openings? Well, if it's a fight he wants… a fight he will get!_ Narruk thought and let out a howl.

Narruk charged at Mitsuji and threw a punch. Mitsuji avoided it but he got hit by a kick from his blind spot. The kick blew him away but he remained on his feet. However, Narruk continued his onslaught. Mitsuji shot off flames from his body but Narruk gladly took them on. He felt the heat and pain but it wasn't in vain. He landed a punch on Mitsuji's face. After that, he landed even more punches to his body.

"ORAORARAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!", Narruk shouted as he unleashed a barrage of punches to Mitsuji. Left body hook, right face uppercut, left body jab. So on, so forth.

"That wolf guy has the same Quirk as me!", a girl with short messy black hair and wolf ears exclaimed. She was the same one Mitsuji had seen in both the exam and classroom.

"There's bound to be someone with the same Quirk as you. It's a big world out there. But I'm pretty sure few only have a dazzling Quirk like mine", a boy with grey hair that has a blue stripe down the middle said.

They heard exactly what they were talking about and saw the fight on the screen. Suzumi was hiding from Kai but they were not focused on that. They want to see the outcome of the fight between a boy and a beast.

 _1…2…_

Hot flames enveloped Mitsuji and caused Narruk to back off. He wondered why Mitsuji was playing defensive. Was that all he could do? It then occurred to Narruk.

"You bastard. You're planning to make me waste 15 minutes here?!", Narruk asked angrily.

"Just like how you trust your teammate to get the special bomb. I trust mine to be able to protect it. Judging from how you remained behind, you must think you're the superior one in terms of combat abilities so that means, Midoriya is all alone facing Hikari. All I have to do is to avoid a team fight especially since I'm not that coordinated with him", Mitsuji explained with a smug look on his face. All of his nervousness had vanished in the heat of battle. This was one of the few times he could gain some confidence.

Narruk knew that he didn't have much time left so he had to finish it quick. He charged at Mitsuji despite the flames blocking him and he felt his fur burning.

"OOOOOHHHHH!", Narruk shouted and landed a punch.

It was a solid hit since Mitsuji almost threw up. Narruk grinned but then he noticed that Mitsuji was holding the arm that punched him.

 _1…_

"Also, I'm not trying to make you waste time. A true hero defeats the villain fair and square!", he shouted with a fierce piercing look in his eye.

 _2…_

Electricity coursed through the body of the beast. Mitsuji conducted electricity towards Narruk and fried him. The beast turned back to his human form and was knocked unconscious, falling in a slump onto the floor.

Looking at the unconscious Narruk, Mitsuji reverted back to his nervous self. He had done well to conceal his multi-elemental ability by only using fire, using his electricity as a trump card. Better yet, he didn't even have to reveal his earth abilities. Of course, this was all happenstance rather than planned out.

"W-W-What should I do? W-What if I caused permanent damage? B-But… my first battle went well. Who am I kidding? O-One wrong move and I would've been the one on the floor!", he nervously shouted.

He took one step and…

 _Eh?_

Pain and fatigue coursed through his body. The adrenaline rush was wearing off and he fell face-first to the ground. He couldn't move a finger.

 _I think… I overdid it a little_ , he thought and blacked out.

"Woah! What a fight!", Denki shouted and everyone agreed.

"I thought the boy only had a fire Quirk. He can also use electricity? He's like you Shoto!", Toru said.

"Heh! I can blast away that wolf and the kid if they come at me together!", Katsuki boasted.

"Saiga and Mondronen are down. It's up to Hikari and Midoriya!", Toshinori announced over the microphone.

"Wait… Midoriya?", Eijiro asked.

They looked at the screen which revealed a girl hiding from a guy with neon blue hair. The girl had straight green hair and green eyes. She was wearing a dark green shirt with an attached hood over black visor-like goggles and a skirt. Big combat boots that reached her knees and gloves that went to her elbows were part of her costume as well.

Everyone looked at Izuku.

 _Why is she here?_ Izuku thought, surprised.


	9. Chapter 7: Hikari vs Midoriya

"Saiga and Mondronen are down. It's up to Hikari and Midoriya!", Toshinori announced and Kai was worried and at the same time glad.

He was happy that Mitsuji managed to take down an enemy but at the same time, he was worried about his teammate.

Suzumi, on the other hand, felt that she was in a bad position. Her enemy was standing in front of the special bomb without moving an inch. If a fight would break out, she wouldn't know if she would stand a chance. However, time was ticking and she knew that less than 5 minutes remained.

"I've got no choice then", she muttered.

She blew out a fist-sized fire and formed it into a ball. The ball of fire shot off towards Kai but he noticed the incoming projectile. He pointed his finger at the ball and a beam of light shot from it. The fire dispersed when the light hit it and the beam headed straight to where Suzumi was.

The green-haired girl moved away from her spot quickly and avoided the beam just in time before it hit the wall. The beam left a crack on the wall.

Kai Hikari, Quirk: Lightshow. He can shoot beams of light out of any part in his body. If he shoots too much from a single spot, it would overheat. However, he must constantly soak in light to use it.

"You finally revealed yourself", Kai said cautiously.

"Yeah. Victory wouldn't come for those who wouldn't act", Suzumi replied.

She blew out more flames and it turned into a snake-like flames. The flames floated in the air and Kai watched it with awe. It was like an amazing fire show except that the fire was going towards him. Kai dodged the snake-like flame but it turned around and chased him.

"What? It has a life of its own?", Kai asked, surprised.

"Wrong. I'm controlling it!", Suzumi answered.

Suzumi Midoriya, Quirk: Dragon Breath. She can breathe out fire and control it. Also, she can eat fire which powers her up!

"Deku! Who is she?", Ochaco asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Her last name's Midoriya too!", Tenya added with vigour.

Feeling the pressure from his classmates, Izuku had no choice but to answer.

"She's Suzumi. She's my cousin from my father's side", he answered.

"Cousin?!"

"Hey Izuku… Introduce me to her!", Minoru said.

"Shut up, Minoru", Kyoka told the pervert.

Everyone watched the screen. Kai was shooting out lasers and dispersed Suzumi's flames. However, Suzumi kept on making more and more snake-like flames every time her flames would get extinguished.

"But… if she's your cousin, how come she doesn't have the same Superpower Quirk as yours?", Eijiro asked.

"That's… ummm… well…", Izuku stammered.

This was a bad situation. No matter how close he became to the class, he couldn't possibly tell them the secret of One for All because that might lead them to danger.

"Deku's Quirk is probably a mutation. His father breathes fire and his mother moves objects. It's been researched that a child can either inherit a Quirk from his parents or develop a completely different one", Katsuki explained, saving Izuku.

"I see!", Denki said.

Izuku gave Katsuki a silent "thank you" but he just scoffed.

They all focused back on the screen.

Flames danced around the air and one by one charged at Kai. Kai, however, shot out laser beams from his fingers and extinguished the flames. Apparently, if her flames come in contact with something, her control over it would disappear and it would be extinguished.

Kai was at the advantage. All he had to do was stall for time. Suzumi wouldn't be able to use large-scale attacks since she might hit the special bomb so all he had to do was stand in front of it.

Then, Suzumi breathed fire and it wrapped around her fists. She charged at Kai and threw a punch. He avoided her punch but the heat of her fists made him sidestep. But that one second of backing off sealed his defeat. The flames on Suzumi's fists disappeared as she reached out her hand to touch the special bomb. The victory condition for her team was to touch the bomb within 15 minutes. If she could just touch it, Narruk's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

Kai aimed his palm at Suzumi but she was already in front of the bomb. If he would miss and hit the bomb instead, that would be a great minus for their score.

Suzumi touched the bomb.

"Team Mondronen and Midoriya touched the bomb. They win!", Toshinori announced.

Kai smiled and sat down on the floor. He tasted his first defeat on his first combat training. Suzumi saw him sitting on the floor and looking on the ground. She approached him and offered a hand.

"It was a good fight", she said.

He took her hand and stood up.

"Yeah it was. Sucks that we lost but expect I'll be more of a challenge next time!", Kai said and smiled.

"Expect the same thing from me!", Suzumi replied and they shook hands.

Toshinori told the mistakes and strengths of the two teams in front of the class. Everyone was there except for Narruk and Mitsuji since they were still knocked out from their fight. Narruk's mistake was that he allowed it to be a one-on-one battle when they could've used their numbers to their advantage against Mitsuji. Suzumi's mistake was that she blindly followed Narruk's orders and that she wasted too much time trying to find an opening on Kai's defence before deciding to go on a full-on battle. Kai's mistake was that he was too conservative and tried so hard not to hit the bomb which made his options limited. Mitsuji's mistake was that even if he patrolled, he was too nervous to notice that he was too far away from Kai and almost got ambushed by the enemy team.

After the explanations were done, it was time for the next team.

The first team consisted of a girl with messy black-hair and a girl with long white hair. The white-haired girl's hero costume consisted of a knee-length, strapless dress with a white lace underskirt. The black-haired girl had wolf ears and a tail. She was wearing black tight sleeveless shirt, black pants and a metal plate on her collar.

The second team had a boy with neck-length dirty blond hair and a brunette boy with puffy hair and glasses. The blond bay was wearing a short-sleeved black coat, fingerless gloves, grey tactical shirt, grey digital camo cargo pants, black boots, and a grey digital camo mask which covered his mouth and nose. The brunette was wearing a dark blue graduation dress and a dark blue toga.

"Hiya! I'm Aome Okami! Hope to have a nice fight with you", she said as her tail wagged.

"I'm Jacob Wilson. I moved here just to get into UA, where lots of great heroes came from. Ah. I almost rambled on. Sorry. I just get so excited when talking about heroes", the boy with a black coat introduced.

"My name is Kokoro Nanami. Let's not have hard feelings and strive to be heroes together okay?", the girl with strapless dress asked and flashed a sweet smile.

"I'm… Arakawa Juene… Please don't be too rough on me…", the boy in the graduation dress softly said.

"Now that you've introduced yourselves, it's time to fight it out! Team Wilson and Juene will be the protecting team while Team Okami and Nanami will be the attacking team", Toshinori announced.

"And don't forget: your upperclassmen are watching", Toshinori said and gave them a motivational thumbs-up.


	10. Chapter 8: Energy vs Tactics

"Team Wilson and Juene will be the protecting team while Team Okami and Nanami will be the attacking team", Toshinori announced.

Jacob Wilson and Arakawa Juene waited in front of the special bomb while Aome Okami and Kokoro Nanami were in front of the building.

"Our battle plan is simple. Since we don't know much about the enemy's Quirk, the best option is to stay here and fight as a pair. What is your Quirk by the way?", Jacob asked.

"My Quirk is called Moving Library. I can make a copy of a book that I read in my brain and summon the pages of the said book. Those pages can be used as a projectile", he explained.

"I see. So, this is our battle plan… You take the back and support me while I handle the front. Very easy right?", Jacob asked calmly and Arakawa nodded.

Meanwhile, Aome and Kokoro were walking down the corridor of the third floor of the building. Kokoro was looking around carefully while Aome was walking straight.

"Ummm… Okami?", Kokoro called out.

"No need to be formal with me. Call me Aome!", she told her.

"Okay… Aome. Are you sure you should be that relaxed? They could attack from anywhere", Kokoro asked apprehensively.

"It's fine! It's fine! I may not look like it but I got a good nose so I'm pretty sure they're not that close", Aome answered cheerfully.

With her wagging tail and wolf ears, Kokoro already deduced that she had enhanced senses like a wolf's and she definitely looked like the part.

"What's our plan?", Kokoro asked.

"As much as I don't like fighting, we don't have a choice since this is a combat exercise. Well… Let's just hope we can touch the bomb before a full-blown fight happens!" Kokoro sighed. It was as good a tactic as they had without knowing their enemies Quirks.

They arrived at a huge room where the bomb was placed. The two boys were waiting for them to arrive. Aome got into a fighting stance and her tail stopped wagging. Her ears were on red alert, listening for any sound in the area.

Aome Okami, Quirk: Lycant! She has the strength and the senses of a wolf. With retractable claws in her hands and feet, she's a dangerous close-ranged hero.

"Let's go, Juene!", Jacob shouted and a spectral staff appeared from thin air.

Jacob Wilson, Quirk: Summoning! His Quirk allows him to summon up to a maximum of 10 weapons. Whether it's a bow and arrow or a sword, he's a versatile hero!

He swung his staff at Aome but she dodged it easily. She then countered with a punch but Jacob summoned a spectral round shield. The shield blocked her attack and he thrust his staff at her. She got hit in the stomach and just when she was about to punch him, she saw three projectiles rushing towards her from the corner of her eye. Aome jumped back out of the way and the projectiles exploded upon impact on the ground.

Aome looked at the source of the projectiles and saw Arakawa who was adjusting his glasses.

"Aome!", Kokoro shouted and Aome returned to her senses just in time to duck under a swing from Jacob's staff.

Kokoro couldn't just stand idly while her teammate was fighting. She remembered the words of her teammate. All they had to do was touch the bomb and they would win. She ran towards the bomb.

However, Arakawa wouldn't allow that. Two ethereal pieces of paper appeared out of thin air and launched towards the running girl.

"Kokoro! Watch out!", Aome shouted.

"Do you have time to care for others?", Jacob asked and landed another blow on her head this time.

Aome disregarded the pain and pushed Kokoro out of the way. The pieces of paper hit her and an explosion occurred. Aome barely managed to remain standing up.

"Don't be too reckless", she told Kokoro firmly. Kokoro noticed that though she was a nice girl that liked to socialise, in the heat of battle Aome could actually turn pretty pragmatic.

Jacob was silently observing the two. He had already identified Aome's Quirk. She may have the strength, senses, and reflexes of a wolf but that was all she had. Aome had no gimmicks or tricks that would turn a disadvantage around. But he was wondering about the other girl's Quirk. Why wasn't she using it?

The reason for that was because Kokoro Nanami was a gentle soul. She couldn't dream of hurting someone. But hero work dealt with villains so she knew she was bound to harm someone or another. However, the thought of inflicting pain on her classmates made her heart ache. Also, she didn't have enough control of her Quirk yet to be able to make it safe for practice.

That was why, she had no choice.

"Aome. Sorry but I leave it all to you", she said.

Kokoro then began singing. The song was about the serenity of nature, the peace brought from loving one another, and the beauty of being healthy. Her sweet voice stopped everyone from moving even her enemy and made them appreciate the beautiful song. Then, Aome's body began to glow. The bruises and cuts she received disappeared.

"What the!?", asked the confused Aome.

Kokoro Nanami, Quirk: Angel's Song and Nightmare's Lullaby. Her voice can heal, damage, and destroy anything or anyone within range.

Kokoro didn't stop. Her song changed and it became about the unyielding determination of a hero, how justice always prevails, and how peace shall always return. Strength and energy coursed through Aome's body as she felt her senses sharpening.

"I see…", Aome muttered.

Aome charged swiftly at Arakawa. The boy couldn't react in time due to her speed and was knocked out by a strong punch to the stomach. He crumpled to the floor

"Juene!", Jacob shouted.

But before he could run towards his fallen teammate, Aome was already in front of him.

 _Too fast!_ , he thought as he made a large round spectral shield.

However, the shield immediately shattered after one left strike from the strengthened Aome. She then released a right hook which hit his jaw and Jacob lost consciousness after the blow.

"Team Wilson and Juene are down! Team Okami and Nanami wins!", Toshinori announced.

The battle was over and the two boys were sent to the infirmary. Toshinori discussed the battle. He said it was an improvement compared to the first one. Learning to cooperate with heroes whose Quirks are unknown was one of the fundamentals of being a hero. Jacob and Arakawa cooperated well. As for Aome and Kokoro, they weren't that bad but if Kokoro only used her Quirk sooner, they wouldn't have a harder time.

After the discussion, it was time for the next battle.

The protecting team consisted of a winged-girl and a boy in a black straitjacket. The winged-girl had light purple hair and purplish-blue eyes and was wearing a dark blue yukata that was cut by the knee with a black sash tied around it and a secondary white sash tied around it again. The boy had black hair with a mask that covered his mouth and nose.

"I'm Runa Tenshi. Let's have a good match", the winged-girl introduced herself proudly.

"My name is… Kuroi Niriyama… Kufufufufu. Let's see if you can last against me", the black-haired boy said menacingly.

The attacking team had a boy with pure black eyes and pointed ears and a girl with dark hair and dark eyes. The boy was wearing a white helmet that showed his ears and face and a pure white armour. The girl wore a scuba diver skin-tight body suit and a snorkel with an orange water vest that has medical supplies in its pockets.

"I'm Erude Rikaga. A pleasure to meet you", the boy with pointed ears introduced himself.

"…Tang Izumi… Let's make this quick", the girl said.

"That boy…", Eijiro said as he looked at the masked boy.

"No way… What is Niriyama doing at UA?", Mina asked.

Everyone looked at the two.

"Kero? Is something wrong?", Tsuyu asked.

"Nothing… I just find it hard to believe that he wants to become a hero", Eijiro said.

"Why is that?", Fumikage asked.

Mina and Eijiro looked at each other and gulped.

"Because… he's the worst delinquent in our school!", the two of them said.

Everyone looked at the masked boy on the screen.

"Kufufufufu", the masked boy laughed.

 **Author's Note: Sorry about the large delay. I had exams, but they are now over so I should update more often!**


	11. Chapter 9: Fourth Wall Break

"A delinquent?", Izuku asked.

"Yeah. He defeated different gangs and formed a group in my old school. He broke many rules and was very unhero-like", Eijiro answered.

"Also, it was said that he wasn't even afraid of using his Quirk against teachers and even police officers", Mina added.

"How could a guy like that be a hero?", Minoru asked.

The winged girl and the masked boy were waiting in front of the bomb. They stood there silently and the winged girl found it awkward. The boy was cracking his fingers.

"So… What's our plan?", Runa asked.

"Beat them up", Kuroi answered.

Runa sighed. She thought that Kuroi was overconfident. Having too much confidence was dangerous. They were facing against enemies with unknown Quirks so they have to be as careful as possible. And yet the boy beside her wasn't even fazed.

Erude and Tang were walking in the fourth floor of the building.

"Like what Jacob and Arakawa did, we should work together. Tell me, what's your Quirk?", Erude asked.

"Water Cannon… I shoot water from my hands", she answered.

"That's… useful" was the only response. _Awkward,_ thought Erude.

They walked silently. Erude wanted to talk but she didn't look like the talkative type. Also, they were in a combat training so talking wasn't really that necessary. It didn't take long before they arrived at the room where the bomb was.

"Enemy!", Runa shouted and everyone but Kuroi got into a battle stance.

Runa shot off feathers from her wings. Her Quirk was Angel Wings. She has wings that have a wingspan of 10 ft and she can launch her feathers like arrows. The winged-girl couldn't use her wings to fly since she was confined in a small room therefore, she had no choice but to use her feathers as projectiles.

Erude smiled and lifted his right arm. The feathers stopped mid-air and Runa was confused. The feathers dropped to the ground after a few seconds. Erude Rikaga, Quirk: Telekinesis. He can lift and control objects using his mind. If he goes beyond his limit, he will suffer from a serious headache.

The winged girl shot off more feathers but the result was still the same. The feathers stopped mid-air and fell to the ground as Erude and Tang slowly moved closer.

Tang shot off pressurized water from her hands and hit Runa causing her to be knocked back. Runa stood up but her wings became heavy due to being wet. Normally, her wings were coated with a special oil that could handle water but since she received large amounts of water, her wings were wet and hard to move.

 _This is bad. My feathers are useless against Rikaga and Izumi disabled my Quirk. Is this it?_ she thought.

Kuroi took a step forward and everyone looked at him.

"Kufufufufu… I guess it's time for me to act", he said.

The attacking team was on guard. They haven't seen his Quirk yet and if he was that confident, it must be formidable. Erude levitated a few rocks around him and Tang aimed her hands at Kuroi.

Kuroi cracked his finger and then, four red tentacles emerged from his back. Tang shot water at him but the tentacles protected him. The tentacles then went for Tang but she avoided it. However, a tentacle emerged from the ground and hit her stomach. The blow was strong and another tentacle whipped her. Tang was wrapped with one of the tentacles and was thrown away.

"Easy", Kuroi said.

Kuroi Niriyama, Quirk: Mutant Cells. He has special cells in his body that produces red tentacles in his body. The tentacles can be as hard, flexible, and long as he wants. However, they can also be trapped, effectively trapping him.

Tang coughed as she grovelled on the ground because of the pain. Upon hearing his teammates pained groans, Erude was angry.

"Don't you know how to hold back?", he asked.

"'Hold back? This is a combat exercise. We must go all out and surpass our limit. What was it? Oh yeah. "Go beyond. Plus Ultra." Right?"

Stones and debris floated and launched at Kuroi. However, he wrapped himself with his tentacles and defended against the projectiles. Erude continued his onslaught of debris and stones against Kuroi. A tentacle emerged from the ground and Erude noticed it in time. He jumped away but it caught his feet. Other tentacles got his arms and other leg.

"If you surrender, it would be less painful", Kuroi told him with a cold voice.

"…I surrender", Erude said and looked down.

"Team Izumi and Rikaga surrendered. Team Niriyama and Tenshi wins!", Toshinori announced.

"He's strong", Kai commented.

"Niriyama has good control over his Quirk which makes him a formidable opponent. I wonder how tough his tentacles are", Aome said.

The two teams arrived at the observation room.

"Good fight", Toshinori praised them.

But the teams knew it was far from a good fight. Runa felt that she was useless. Erude and Tang knew that they were powerless against Kuroi. Toshinori's praise went through one ear and came out in the other.

"Now. I know you must be feeling frustrated but it's normal. This is your first battle after all. You have room to improve. Young Tenshi, find other ways to utilize your Quirk. The same goes for you, Young Erude. There must be more ways to use your Quirk than just throwing debris. Anyone can do that. Young Izumi, train your Quirk. Water Quirks are really useful. And as for Young Niriyama… keep up the good work", Toshinori discussed.

The teams nodded and went back to the group. The door to the observation room opened and a boy with dark dirty blonde hair entered. Narruk arrived in the room.

"Ah. Young Mondronen. Glad to see you well", Toshinori said.

"Yeah. Aside from a little headache, I'm doing well", he replied.

"Good. We're about to start the next round"

The defending team had two boys. One had grey hair with a blue stripe down the middle. He was wearing a multicolored cape, a protective body suit, black gauntlets that contained a crystal and wore a half-red-half-blue v-shaped mask that only covered his face. The other boy had white hair and red eyes. His hero outfit was black and blue samurai armour with a blue oni mask and grappling hook launchers on both arms.

"The name's Daichi Hisakawa", the samurai boy introduced.

"Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Watabe Kiyonaga!", the boy in the v-shaped mask introduced and did a pose.

The attacking team consisted of an odd-eyed boy with long shaggy brown hair. He wore a bulletproof trench coat and contained various tools and weapons. The other member was a black-haired boy with glasses. He wore a large hoodie with normal clothes except that he has programmable exo-suit underneath.

"Hey there! Cool costumes. My name's Drake Smith", the boy in the trench coat introduced himself.

"Yo! I'm Purorakudo Gemu! Let's have a good match!", the boy in the hoodie said.

The two teams headed to the combat site and they did their preparations.

"Let's go on separate ways", Drake proposed.

"What? Shouldn't we work together?", Purorakudo asked.

"Don't worry. I have a plan", he said and ran off, leaving his teammate behind.

Meanwhile, the duo in front of the bomb was waiting for their enemies.

"What's your Quirk?", Daichi asked.

"My Quirk is dazzling. Once my radiant light hits you, your emotion will change!", Watabe answered.

"… That's it?"

"Yes!"

 _This is going to be tough_ , Daichi thought.

He noticed a lone boy wearing a hoodie enter the room. Daichi looked around for any signs of the other enemy. Upon knowing that he wasn't around, he transformed into a human-sized brontoscorpio. He clicked his two pincers and looked straight at Purorakudo.

 _Ewww. Insects. This couldn't get any worse_ , Purorakudo thought.

Daichi Hisakawa, Quirk: Arthropod! He can transform into insects including mythical and prehistoric ones. However, he only has a limited time to maintain a form before he loses control.

"I-I-Insect!", Toru screamed.

"What kind of insect is that?", Denki asked.

Koji muffled a scream because his fear of insect kicked in. And it wasn't just any insect. It was as big as a human and it was a prehistoric one.

Purorakudo Geimu was about to fight when a grey light shined on him. He felt all of his energy leave him and he felt listless and unmotivated.

"Hey. What happened?", Daichi asked.

"Do whatever you want. I'm tired", Purorakudo answered.

Daichi looked at the source of the light and it came from Watabe.

Watabe Kiyonaga, Quirk: Art Attack! He can influence the emotions of a target based on the colour of the light he shines upon them. Red is for anger, pink is for happiness, blue is for sadness, and etc.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of him. Just find the other one", Watabe said.

"The attacking team touched the bomb. Team Smith and Gemu wins!", Toshinori announced.

"WHAT?", Watabe and Daichi asked in surprise.

They saw Drake touching the bomb.

"He didn't enter the room at all!", Daichi exclaimed.

"It's my Quirk. Sorry about that", Drake told them as if that was enough explanation.

Drake Smith, Quirk: Fourth-Wall Break. He can tell when someone thinks about him and when someone talks or looks at him. When no one is focusing on him, he can teleport to anywhere he can see with a 1 second cool down. Also, cameras can't see him if he wants to.

"That was a quick fight", Narruk said.

"Indeed. But speed is important for heroics. Take note of that", Toshinori said.

The two teams entered the observation room.

"Good job, Young Smith. By retrieving the bomb in the swiftest and safest way, you won. However, a hero never sacrifices his comrades. You must thing of Young Gemu's welfare too if you use a plan like that again. As for you three… better luck next time", Toshinori said.

"Now then… For our last battle for today. Please step up!"

A girl with straight brown hair and light brown eyes stepped forward. She was wearing a long and dark lavender overcoat over a short frilly dusty lilac dress with wide sleeves and white tights. Her teammate was a boy with white hair and pale yellow eyes. His costume consisted of a fancy white suit and blue tie.

"I am Tsubaki Kamiya. It is a pleasure to meet you", she introduced herself and curtsied.

"Greetings. I am Shiroi Kiri. Nice to meet you", the boy introduced himself.

The other team had a blond boy with azure blue eyes. He wore a streamlined jet black bodysuit that could resist heat and frost and digital goggles that acted as a gadget that calculates various projectile vectors. His comrade was a girl with purple hair and blue eyes. Her hero costume was a skin-tight violet suit with gauntlets and boots.

"Heya. I'm Nozomi Kido", the girl introduced herself.

"Hello there. My name is Nagai Tokuhei. A pleasure to meet such beautiful ladies today", he said.

Tsubaki and Nozomi smiled at the compliment.

"Now then, head to the stage. It's time for the final battle!", Toshinori said.


	12. Chapter 10: Time Trap

"Team Kamiya and Kiri! Versus! Team Kido and Tokuhei! The final battle for our class today! Begin!", Toshinori announced.

Tsubaki and Shiroi were on the defensive team while Nozomi and Nagai were on the offensive team.

Nozomi and Nagai entered the building. They were quiet as they walked up the stairs. Nagai wanted to talk to Nozomi since it was a chance to talk to a beauty but he had to focus on the combat exercise first.

"Hey Tokuhei… How should we do this?", Nozomi asked.

"Hmmm… I believe that we should find a common ground with our Quirks. Tell me, what is your Quirk?", he asked.

Nozomi touched the wall and her skin and clothes were coated with concrete armour. Nozomi Kido, Quirk: Matter Absorption. She can absorb solid materials and coat herself with it. The toughness and properties of the material remains and she can still move in flexible manners.

"How about you?", Nozomi asked.

"I can swim in the air. Actually, air is like water for me. I can swim in it and I can even compress it and splash it at people to use a wind-like projectile", Nagai answered.

"I see. It's best if you leave the front to me while you fight in the air."

"No! Having a woman fight in the front while I cower above is shameful!"

"But we won't win if we follow your plan. Besides, I'm not some weak girl!"

Nagai was full of complaints but he had no choice but to agree. After all, Nozomi was right. They were against enemies with unknown Quirks so they have to be as efficient as possible.

They arrived at the room where the bomb was and they saw a brown-haired girl and a white-haired boy. Nagai compressed the air and threw it at the boy but white mist appeared from the boy's hand. The air disappeared when it touched the white mist. Another mist appeared from his other hand and compressed air went out from it and hit Nagai.

"What the? That was my attack!", Nagai exclaimed.

Shiroi Kiri, Quirk: Mist Storage. He can summon a white mist that stores anything. Also, he can summon the things he stored from the same mist he summoned.

Nozomi was about to run towards the bomb but then she noticed something fast was running towards her. She received a punch, kick, another punch, and a judo throw at insane speeds. The purple haired girl saw that her attacker was the brown-haired girl. She barely even parsed that she had been winded, and was in fact on the ground.

"What was that? Some sort of speed-enhancing Quirk?", she asked.

"Wrong", Tsubaki answered.

She took a deep breath and ran swiftly. Tsubaki Kamiya, Quirk: Time Trap. Tsubaki can change her own perception of time and make 1 second for others to 3 seconds for her. However, it only lasts for as long as she can hold her breath. Her Quirk is often confused with a speed-type Quirk.

Nozomi absorbed the ground and concrete coated her. When Tsubaki punched her, it felt like she was punching a concrete wall. Her fist felt pain and she backed away. Her fist was now bleeding a bit.

Meanwhile, Nagai was floating in the air and was splashing compressed air at Shiroi but Shiroi merely stored them all in his mist. The white-haired boy returned all of the compressed air to the floating boy.

It was a stalemate. Nozomi couldn't land a blow on Tsubaki but Tsubaki couldn't deal any damage to her. If Nozomi would try to charge towards the bomb, Tsubaki would just overtake her and judo throw her away. Nagai would float in the air and throw compressed air at Shiroi but Shiroi would just return his attacks.

"You guys are persistent aren't ya?", Nozomi asked as she threw a punch.

Tsubaki couldn't answer since she was holding her breath. She was looking for possible weaknesses her enemy could have but Nozomi's defenses were solid. It was like punching a solid wall.

 _Not good. At this rate, our time will run out and we will lose!_ , Nagai thought.

He swam towards the bomb and since Shiroi couldn't fly, he just hopelessly chased after him. Tsubaki noticed this and ran towards the bomb as well. Her perception of time was changed and so, she was fast. She jumped and grabbed Nagai's leg. He fell to the ground and Tsubaki pinned him to the ground.

Nozomi ran towards the bomb while Tsubaki was busy with Nagai. Shiroi got in her way but she just punched him in the stomach. That was one limitation with Shiroi's Quirk. He couldn't store living creatures without harming them. Every living being he stored died because of suffocation in his storage area. That was why Tsubaki's team lost when Nozomi touched the bomb.

"Team Kido and Tokuhei wins!". Toshinori announced.

"… We lost", Shiroi said.

Tsubaki let out a sigh and let go of Nagai.

"Good job Nozomi!", Nagai praised.

"Hehehehe. There's more where that came from!", Nozomi replied.

"…Sorry…", Shiroi apologized to Tsubaki.

"It couldn't be helped", Tsubaki said and helped Shiroi up.

The two teams returned to the observation room and Toshinori greeted them.

"Good job. You did well. Young Kamiya was amazing at holding Young Kido back. Young Kido was also amazing at defending herself and being able to make good decisions under pressure. As for Young Tokuhei, you should've switched to other methods of attacking when you found out that splashing air at Young Kiri was useless. Young Kiri, learn when to return the attacks you stored with your Quirk. Now that concludes our battle training! You children will go to the classroom and reflect on what you learned. Also, you'll be provided with the videos of your battle to help you see what your mistakes were", Toshinori said.

"Now then… Say it with me! Go beyond!", he shouted.

"Plus Ultra", almost everyone shouted with him.

Toshinori then became a muscular man. Everyone was surprised and happy to see the Symbol of Peace again. He smiled and gave them a thumbs-up. It took only one second before he coughed up blood and returned to his skinny form.

"Sensei! Are you okay?", Jacob asked.

"Don't worry. Just wanted to pump you kids up a bit. Now return to your classrooms", he answered and walked out of the room.

"Finally! That was barely entertaining. We should've trained than watch a bunch of weak children", Katsuki said.

"Now now, Katsuki. You were once a child too", Eijiro teased.

"And you had an intense fight with Izuku too! You almost killed him!", Denki added.

Everyone laughed light-heartedly while Katsuki was screaming at them to shut up. Despite the bonds they formed, Katsuki still wouldn't admit that he liked being with his classmates and that he enjoyed moments of peace like this one. But he definitely enjoyed beating up villains.

"If you think that this was just for fun then you are wrong. UA doesn't waste time since villains are rising. UA doesn't give its students useless activities when it can train them to become heroes", Aizawa told them in a cold manner which made everyone freeze up. Whatever he was planning, it was definitely stressing.

"For the next two weeks, you will supervise and train the students you saw in their free time", Aizawa announced.

"Eh?"

"You mean like we're going to be like heroes and they'll be our sidekicks?", Mina asked.

"This is exciting! I already feel like an upperclassman!", Tooru shouted.

"Cute girl! Let my sidekick be a cute girl!", Minoru screamed.

"Shut up", Aizawa's cold voice echoed through the room and silence everyone.

"You do know the risk UA is taking right? Instead of having pro teachers teach them, UA is relying on you to mould them into heroes. Fun? Very well. You'll be taking track of their growth, both in academics and heroics. And for the one who had the least growth of his or her sidekick, he or she will be part of supplementary lessons along with his or her sidekick", Aizawa said.

Everyone screamed internally except for a few individuals.

"When will we know our sidekicks?", Tenya asked as he stood up and raised his hand.

"Tomorrow. Video copies of their battles will be sent to you later. You better think of strategies already. You don't want an underclassman suffering because of your incompetence, would you?", Aizawa answered and left the room.

"What should I do? How can I train my sidekick?", Minoru asked while panicking.

"This is b*llsh*t! If UA is forcing me to have a sidekick, then he'd better be strong! If he isn't, I'll make him to be the strongest underclassman!", Katsuki declared.

Everyone began to worry for Katsuki's sidekick.


	13. Chapter 11: A New Challenge

Morning classes were finished and Mitsuji remained in his seat. Feeling frustrated, he didn't have the appetite to eat lunch. He felt that he could've done more in the combat training. From what Recovery Girl said, he passed out due to fatigue and extreme nervousness. He felt useless and didn't feel like eating lunch. However, a boy with neon blue hair approached him.

"Hey Saiga. Wanna eat lunch together?", Kai asked.

Unable to reject his kind offer, Mitsuji accepted and the two of them went to the cafeteria. After getting their food and finding a table, they began eating.

"Sorry about yesterday", Mitsuji apologized, looking downcast.

"What? Why?", Kai asked.

"We lost because of me. If only I didn't pass out because of nervousness, Midoriya would've had a hard time and we could've won. I'm no-good" he mumbled, looking down.

"Don't be like that! The past is in the past. What matters is what you learned and what you can do for the future!"

Despite Kai's effort to comfort him, Mitsuji still felt frustrated and lost confidence.

"Hello there! Mind if I sit here?", a boy with dirty blond hair and blue green eyes asked.

"Sure", Kai answered and he sat down.

"I'm Jacob Wilson. Nice to meet you. I saw your fight", Jacob said.

"Is that so?", Kai asked.

"You've got a neat Quirk: being able to shoot off laser from your hands and fingers. How strong is your laser?", Jacob asked inquisitively. It seemed harmless enough.

"Well… My laser can pretty much pierce through metal after some time", he answered slightly cautiously. Even if they were classmates, revealing his Quirk to Jacob could prove to his advantage if there was any more combat training.

"Enough about that. I'm more interested in your Quirk!", Jacob exclaimed and faced Mitsuji.

"M-M-Mine?", he replied with a squeak.

"Yeah. Fire and electricity?! It's like having two separate Quirks at once! That's amazing! And your fight with Mondronen was awesome. The way you only used fire against him and then finished him with electricity was quite a smart move. Although you won by luck since if I were Mondronen, I would've knocked you out already and not give you a chance to use your Quirk. But what if you zap from a distance? That could work. But can you do it? Electricity is faster than fire after all so Mondronen would have a hard time dodging… Oh sorry! I think I rambled on again!", Jacob told Mitsuji.

Mitsuji was overwhelmed by Jacob's words. He looked to Kai for help but Kai found it amusing. Mitsuji pleaded silently and Kai smiled.

"So Wilson…", Kai said.

"Jacob will be fine. Back in my country, we don't use last names", he interrupted.

"Okay. So Jacob… I think you need to slow down a bit. My friend is a bit on the nervous side" he spoke firmly, but politely.

"Sorry. It's just that whenever I talk about Quirks or Heroes, I get too excited and I ramble on. Sorry for scaring you" he apologised profusely, backing off a bit physically.

"Ah. Don't worry. It's my fault for being too nervous", Mitsuji said.

"What do you call your Quirk?", Jacob asked.

"It's called Primal Split. I can use fire, earth, and electricity to some extent. I can't overuse it though" he answered plainly.

"Not only fire and electricity but also earth?! That's quite a powerful Quirk. That's quite nice" he whistled appreciatively.

"I can only use one element at a time and it takes some time to switch from one element to another"

"I see. I see", Jacob muttered as he took down notes.

Jacob continued asking questions and even involved Kai in his interrogation. Their entire lunch break was taken by the questioning and they were almost late for their afternoon hero lessons.

"Young kiddos! For today's heroics class, you'll go to the field!", their homeroom teacher announced.

"Ehhhh? Where's All Might?", Nozomi asked.

"I thought he was in charge", Aome added.

"Bwahahaha! Don't worry! He'll train you lil' kiddos into fine heroes alright! But for now, he ain't around", Matthew said and fired his pistol at the ceiling.

They changed into their PE uniforms and headed straight to the field. Matthew accompanied them and when they arrived there, they saw 20 people wearing the same uniform as them.

A man in black clothes with bandage-like cloth wrapped around his neck stepped forward. He had black hair and dull-looking eyes.

"Are those your students?", the man asked Matthew tiredly.

"Aye!", he replied.

"Hello, Class 1-A. I'm Shota Aizawa, Class 2-A's homeroom teacher", Aizawa introduced himself.

 _He's a teacher?!_ , everyone thought.

"Let's get this over with. The people behind me are your upperclassmen. They have more experience than you and some are on par with pro heroes. You will learn a lot from them over the next two weeks", Aizawa said.

The students of Class 1-A looked at him blankly. They would've remained that way but Nagai raised his hand and gathered the courage to ask a question.

"What do you mean by that, sir?", he asked.

Aizawa looked at Matthew.

"You didn't tell them anything?", Aizawa asked, scratching his hair.

"It's better if you tell 'em", Matthew replied while trying to look innocent.

The black-haired teacher sighed.

"All right. Listen up. For the next two weeks, each of you will be trained personally. That's all", Aizawa said. He then got out a yellow sleeping bag and entered it. In the middle of the field. He was lying down and everything. The class behind him didn't seem to react at all. Class 1-A were thoroughly confused.

That wasn't enough to answer their questions but they don't have the courage to ask any more questions since they felt an intimidating pressure coming out from the black-haired teacher.

"Then let's announce the hero-sidekick pair. Step up and go to that corner when your names are called", Matthew said.

"Hero: Yuga Aoyama. Sidekick: Kai Hikari", Aizawa announced.

Kai stepped to the front and faced a boy with slightly long blonde hair and bright indigo eyes.

"Bonjour! I hope we get along dashingly!", Yuga said.

"Let's work hard, Senpai!"

"Hero: Mina Ashido. Sidekick: Tang Izumi", Aizawa announced.

The water girl walked towards the center and met up with a pink-skinned girl.

"Wow. You're such a cutie! Let's work hard together kay?", Mina asked.

"Yes, Ashido-senpai!", Tang nodded.

"Hero: Tsuyu Asui. Sidekick: Aome Okami"

With her tail wagging, Aome went to the centre and looked at the frog girl in front of her.

"Let's do our best. And call me Tsuyu-kero", Tsuyu said.

"Okay, Tsuyu-senpai!", Aome replied.

"Hero: Tenya Iida. Sidekick: Tsubaki Kamiya

Tsubaki gracefully walked to the centre and faced a boy who had glasses and had six exhaust ports coming out of each of his legs.

"Hello! Under the name of Ingenium, I will refine you into a wonderful hero!", Tenya declared.

"I thank you in advance, Iida-senpai", Tsubaki replied calmly.

"Hero: Ochaco Uraraka. Sidekick: Nagai Tokuhei"

Nagai smiled and walked to the centre. He met a short girl with brown hair.

"I'm blessed to have a beautiful lady to teach me how to be a hero. I thank the heavens. Now let us depart on our journey to heroism!", Nagai said and offered his hand.

"Yep! Let's work hard, Tokuhei-kun!", Ochaco replied and shook his hand.

"Hero: Mashirao Ojiro. Sidekick: Watabe Kiyoga"

The colourful boy met up with a tailed blond guy.

"We make a colourful team. Let's become a fabulous hero together", Watabe said.

"Wait. You're saying that I'm not plain? Are you serious?", Mashirao asked while being genuinely happy.

"Hero: Denki Kaminari. Sidekick: Shiroi Kiri"

White mist came out of Shiroi's hands as he walked towards the centre and met a blonde boy.

"Let's get along!", Denki said.

"…", Shiroi remained quiet.

"Hero: Eijiro Kirishima. Sidekick: Nozomi Kido"

A boy with spiky red hair met up with Nozomi at the centre of the field.

"I've seen you fight. You got guts if you can take on attacks with your body. That's manliness!", Eijiro said.

"Kirishima-senpai. Are you calling me a man? Aren't these telling you otherwise?", Nozomi asked and directed his attention to her bosom which made him blush.

"Hero: Koji Koda. Sidekick: Purorakudo Gemu"

They met up and shook hands.

"Hero: Rikido Sato. Sidekick: Erude Rikaga"

Erude went to the centre and saw a muscular boy with brown spiky hair.

"Let's work hard!", Rikido said.

"Yes, Sato-senpai", Erude replied.

"Hero: Mezo Shoji. Sidekick: Drake Smith"

Drake dragged his feet as he walked. He met a tall guy whose mouth was covered with a mask and had six arms.

"Yo Senpai! Let's have a good time", Drake said.

"I'll train you into a good hero", Mezo replied.

"Hero: Kyoka Jiro. Sidekick: Kokoro Nanami"

Kokoro was excited to see her partner and when she found out it was a girl, she was happy. Her partner had short purple hair and plug-like earlobes.

"Let's work together Jiro-senpai!", Kokoro said and smiled innocently.

"I saw your fight and I'm kind of interested in your Quirk. It'll be fun working with you", Kyoka told her.

"Hero: Hanta Sero. Sidekick: Kuroi Niriyama"

Hanta gulped down since his sidekick was the delinquent Mina and Eijiro told them about. He knew he was going to have a hard time.

"Kufufufufu… I'll be in your care, Senpai", Kuroi said and smiled.

"Y-Yeah" Sera replied, not convinced for his immediate safety.

"Hero: Fumikage Tokoyami. Sidekick: Runa Tenshi"

Runa walked to the centre and saw a guy with a head of a black bird. She was quite relieved that her mentor had bird-like features too.

"We are fated to fight united. Then I shall train you in my path", Fumikage said.

She was then doubting her judgment.

"Uhhh… Sure", she replied.

"Hero: Shoto Todoroki. Sidekick: Suzumi Midoriya"

Suzumi walked towards the centre but for some reason, she felt that all of Class 2-A was staring at her. But she didn't mind it. She faced her partner who had split-coloured hair that was white on the right side and crimson on the left.

"You're Izuku's cousin. I'm interested to see what you can do", Shoto said.

Suzumi looked at Class 2-A and saw Izuku. It then clicked to her.

"You're Izuku's classmate?", she asked.

"Yes. Let's discuss this later", Shoto answered and started walking.

"Hero: Toru Hagakure. Sidekick: Daichi Hisakawa"

Daichi was surprised to see a floating set of PE uniform but he was even more surprised to hear it talking.

"Let's work hard together!", Toru said.

"…Okay", he replied.

"Hero: Katsuki Bakugo. Sidekick: Narruk Mondronen"

Narruk walked to the centre and a boy with spiky ash blond hair faced him.

"You'd better be ready to die if you're working under me!", Katsuki said with a dangerous smile on his face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!", Narruk replied without hesitation.

"Good! I like you already. Don't disappoint me!"

"Yes Bakugo-senpai!"

The two walked away.

"Hero: Izuku Midoriya. Sidekick: Jacob Wilson"

Jacob walked to the centre and met a green-haired boy.

"Let's work hard together", Izuku said and smiled.

"Yes Senpai!", Jacob replied.

"Hero: Minoru Mineta. Sidekick: Arakawa Juene"

Minoru couldn't believe his eyes. His sidekick was cute. Arakawa had puffy brown hair and glasses that added cuteness. Along with a short and petite build, Minoru was grateful for his luck that he was paired with a cutie.

"Hello Senpai", Arakawa said.

"Hey there, cutie. I'll teach you a lot of things", Minoru said with a wink.

"If any of you have complaints with your upperclassmen, feel free to tell us and we'll handle it", Aizawa said immediately.

"Sorry to disappoint you Senpai but I'm a guy", Arakawa told him.

Everyone could hear Minoru's heart breaking.

"You're a trap?!", he shouted.

"That's what they all say but I'm not happy with it"

Minoru paled because all of his fantasies with Arakawa changed meaning when he found out that he was a guy.

"Hero: Momo Yaoyorozu. Sidekick: Mitsuji Saiga"

Mitsuji walked to the centre and saw a girl with a black hair that was tied in a ponytail.

"Leave everything to me and you'll be a great hero!", Momo declared.

 _Gaaaahhh! Why does it have to be a girl? And a beautiful one to boot! My stomach hurts!_

"Is something wrong? You look pale", she asked.

"I-I'm fine", Mitsuji said without looking her in the eye.

"All right kiddos! Listen up! For the next two weeks, you'll be attending classes like usual. However, it's up to you on how you train with your partners in your free time. Make as much progress as you can since the one with the least improvement will be loaded with supplementary lessons!", Matthew said.

"Eh?", Class 1-A asked while Class 2-A remained calm since they already knew the consequences.

 _Supplementary lessons?! Which means… I might drag down Senpai too? I got to get my act together. But…_

"Let's work hard. Okay?", Momo asked. She looked a bit worried at his state.

"U-Um… Y-Y-Yes. L-Let's work had…erm… h-hard!", he replied.

 _I can't talk to beautiful girls!_


	14. Interlude 2: Dark Flame

_**Elsewhere: In an abandoned factory far from civilisation…**_

Emilia and Daisuke had just witnessed a skirmish between the two test subjects they had recently worked on and two Pro Heroes. It seemed that these minions needed a bit more field training before they could be effective, as then Pro Heroes definitely seemed to be at the advantage throughout. Of particular issue was the Hero known as Blood Knight. He was quite ruthless in his pursuit of justice. Emilia wondered how he was even deemed fit to be a hero. But then, conventional heroics were thrust out the window a long time ago. The rise of All For One had meant that being a paragon of justice was no longer about the conventional way of doing things. This had even been publicly debated ever since the Hero Killer had surfaced.

 _It's all theatrics at the end of the day…what a joke_ Emilia thought gravely.

The loss of the tests subjects was not lost on Daisuke. "Well this isn't good is it? Those two need far more training if they're to be our loyal soldiers. That Koki is particularly disappointing. And after I gave him some of my own power…" Daisuke said sardonically, crossing his arms in disappointment.

"Yes well, luckily they aren't the only ones are they" Emilia responded dryly, and beckoned over to the deep darkness behind them. Screams echoed throughout the hallways, and a dreadful metallic stench permeated the factory. From within the depths, a small mumbling voice could be heard, as well as very quiet footsteps.

"Is that you, hag" Emilia said in a bored tone, beckoning the third party over, "stop skulking around or I'll beat you." It was obvious she meant it.

A whimper was heard from the dark, and then a body emerged. Although it could hardly be called a body. The woman had extremely long grey hair, pale skin and gaunt red eyes similar to Emilia. She wore a black skin-tight bodysuit, with metal circular outlets, which had adapter ports for various cables. The suit was so tight that it could be a straightjacket. Her incredibly frail body was weak, almost as if a breeze would blow her over, and her exposed arms and legs were covered in scars and stitches. They also extended all over her body. Most importantly, she was piloting a large jet black mech, armed to the teeth with ports for cables and various tubes. She had on a black metal headset with a red glowing eye, almost cyclops-like. Her lower half was limp; she was in fact paralysed from the waist down, and there was also a strange incision on her throat. It was clear that she herself, was a test subject.

"Waltrude…come over here." Emilia beckoned to the other woman, and she obeyed silently. When she was within range Emilia struck her with the back of her hand. Waltrude let out a whimper, but otherwise remained silent. _I am glad I destroyed her voice box…it was annoying enough when she yelled every time, I hit her. Ruined the experiments really._ Emilia thought effortlessly.

Daisuke watched them shiftily. "I think it's pretty cruel to treat your own sister like this. Your own flesh and blood. I know I'd never do that to family. Why my son can get very close to discovering our secrets at times, but I'd never strike him. If I had to kill him, it would be peacefully. One strike….to the carotid artery. Not that it'd come to that" he made a slicing gesture along his neck nonplussed.

"I'm not gonna get lectured by a psychopath" she laughed, but continued with "but she has been churning out the test subjects fairly quickly. If it were to lower her productivity, I'd cease off course". Emilia then kicked Waltrude in the stomach with enough force to push her back a few metres. Waltrude started coughing and sputtering. Daisuke merely threw his hands up in the air. Waltrude crawled towards Daisuke and almost reached for his leg pleadingly, but he gave her a cold look which made her retract her arm. She looked at the floor.

"Any promising test subjects?" Daisuke said turning his attention to Emilia.

"One of my favourites. Daku Jari. This foreigner has lots of potential" she motioned towards the monitors surrounding her, beckoning Daisuke to view a monitor with a video feed.

Over the feed, they both observed an absolute massacre in a warehouse. Bodies everywhere, some sliced up, some burnt to a crisp. A dark-skinned man with short black hair and piercing purple eyes standing in the middle of the carnage. Emilia rewinded and showed the video from the beginning. The man in question began surrounded by four men. All four of these men were part of a mercenary assault group. They were armed with assault rifles, bulletproof suits and combat knives. The men circled the lone combatant like hawks. Two of the men suddenly lunged for the man with combat knives. One came from ahead, and the other from behind him to the right. The man purposefully blocked the frontwards stab from ahead with his open palm, and the knife stabbed his hand. He didn't even flinch.

His left hand was engulfed in a purple flame, which burned the knife to a crisp, along with the assailant's arm. The man screamed in pain, and as the other man moved in from behind with his knife, Daku used his other arm to fire purple flames at the man. This man was engulfed in flames completely, being burned to ashes within mere seconds. One other assailant fired assault rifle bullets, but Daku reacted insanely quickly and created a miasma of flame in front of him with both hands, which practically disintegrated the volley of shells. His left hand wasn't bleeding either, as his wound had been cauterised when engulfed in the purple flame. Daku ran at the third assailant, keeping the miasma in front of him to block the round of shells, and thrust his right fiery arm directly into the other man's chest. He then removed his bloody hand and with a slicing gesture with the same hand, beheaded the man. The fourth man was shaking after seeing all this. But then yelled in futility and tried to bash Daku with the side of his assault rifle. Daku grabbed the rifle and applied flame to it, and interestingly enough instead of melting, it turned around and fired a volley of shots at the man. He was wearing a bulletproof suit, but the impact from the shots threw him across the room and he crashed into some boxes. Daku wasn't done with this last man. Not by a long shot.

He summoned all his strength and projected lots of purple flames, which wrapped around his body. When the other man looked towards Daku, he screamed. The man was covered in fire, which looked to be in the shape of a phoenix. Daku ran towards the man, and he left a trail of fire in his wake. He got to the man and started punching him rapidly. Each punch took a massive chunk of flesh out of the man. Within seconds, he was unrecognisable. Daku looked around surveying his handiwork, and then looked with awareness at a camera in the corner of the room.

Daku Jari. Age: 17 years old. Quirk: Dark Flame. The user is able to freely create purple fire with special properties which he uses usually to cover his arms to create constructs or manipulate inanimate objects. He also engulfs himself in it and becomes a large purple Phoenix, but it hurts his body and he can only stay in the form for 15 minutes.

With any luck, he had convinced his benefactors that he would be ready for the mission ahead. Tokyo would soon be hit by a wave of disaster. And he had to be on the front lines, as his own life was very much at stake.


	15. Chapter 12: A Training Hurdle

Mitsuji felt uncomfortable.

"Ummm… C-Could you not stare too much? Please?", Mitsuji timidly asked.

Momo was too deep in her thoughts while analysing her sidekick. She circled him and looked at him from every angle. Mitsuji wanted to run away since she was looking at him too much to the point he was being self-conscious.

He decided to focus on other things. His other classmates were training with their heroes. Kai was shooting off laser beams from his hands to the sky along with Yuga. Jacob was having a hard time defending against Izuku's quick and powerful attacks. Narruk was trying hard to land a blow on Katsuki but he only received explosions from his mentor. Everyone else were working hard with their mentors but here he was, being analysed by a girl and a beautiful one to boot.

"I've seen the way you fight", Momo finally said and made Mitsuji nervous and relax at the same time. He became relaxed that she wasn't observing him that much anymore but he became nervous since he had to talk to a girl.

"You're a mid-ranged fighter. You shoot off flames to your target. If they get too close, you wrap yourself with fire so they would back away. In case they don't back away and manage to touch you, you'll use your electric side and stun them. Am I correct so far?", Momo asked.

"Y-Yes, S-Senpai!", Mitsuji answered and sweated a lot.

"Why are you so nervous? I'm not going to harm you".

"I-It's just that… I don't really interact with my upperclassmen and beautiful girls that much".

He remembered the bad experiences he had with them. If it wasn't for Mitsuo, he wouldn't be in UA and would've been stuck with that kind of life.

"Okay. I know it's not easy but try to tone down your nervousness. I noticed in your battle that you were nervous at the start. Although I'm not sure whether it affected your fight with the wolfman, nervousness and heroism doesn't match", Momo told him.

Mitsuji hung his head and looked down on the ground. He knew that all well. When his classmates found out that he was aiming to be a hero, they would've laughed if Mitsuo wasn't around. He knew that he wasn't cut to be a hero. But he had to be one. With All Might gone, he had to make sure that society will remain peaceful. He knew it would be a hard journey.

"Y-Yes ma'am", he replied.

"Good. Now let us not waste any time and train. We don't want to be the ones who'll do supplementary lessons"

Mitsuji prayed in his heart that he won't do any hellish training. He took a peek at what the others were doing. Tenya was sparring with a fast-moving Tsubaki. Runa was flying up in the sky and was being chased by a flying Fumikage.

"Let's spar too", Momo said.

"Eh?"

Momo made a metal staff and charged at him. Mitsuji reacted just in time to wrap himself with flames making her back off. However, she made a net and threw it at him. When the net touched the fire, it immediately contracted and captured Mitsuji. Panicking, Mitsuji created more flames and caused the net to contract more.

"That net is made out of a special alloy. It contracts when it is heated. And it is your loss", Momo said.

 _1…2…_

The ground shook and cracks appeared from it. Momo jumped just in time when a crater formed beneath her. A hand made of earth emerged from the ground and almost caught her but she created a hammer and smashed the earthen hand. The ground shook again and this time, jagged pillars of earth came from Mitsuji towards Momo in a straight line. She sidestepped it but her feet sunk in the mud.

 _There's mud here?_ , she thought.

If it weren't for her experience, she would've lost her balance but with her quick thinking, she made a grappling hook and shot it at one of the pillars that were made out of earth. She pulled herself out of the mud.

 _27…28…_

 _So he's not only limited to fire and electricity but also earth? The entire area is my enemy! But why isn't he attacking?_ , Momo asked in her head.

 _1…_

Not passing up any opportunity, Momo made a grenade. The grenade contained sleeping gas. She threw it at Mitsuji who was unable to move.

 _2…_

But before he could act, he got hit by the grenade and it released its contents. The sleeping gas knocked Mitsuji out.

Mitsuji woke up and felt a soft sensation. It was warm and he felt comfortable. He felt that it was okay if he were to spend an eternity lying down on whatever he was lying down.

Unfortunately for him, he opened his eyes and saw Momo's face looking down at him. It took him seconds to realize what was going on. Momo was giving him a lap pillow. His face paled and his heart raced.

"Gaaahhh!", Mitsuji screamed as he got up.

"Woah! What's wrong?", Momo asked.

"P-P-Please don't do that again! I beg of you! I would die of a heart attack!"

"Do what?"

"T-T-That lap pillow! Seeing a person's face upon immediately waking up is not good for my health!"

Mitsuji caught his breath and waited for himself to calm down. Momo looked at him with concern.

That was the first time he received a lap pillow from someone aside from his mom and the experience was unnatural. The warmth and the softness of the said pillow and how Momo's pretty face looking at him.

 _No! What am I thinking?! You're just shocked. That's all_ , he thought.

He cleared his mind by looking at others who were training with their mentors. Nagai was swimming in the air and chasing after the rocks Ochaco sent afloat. Suzumi was melting the ice Shoto made while he was determining how fast she could melt the ice.

"Shall we continue?", Momo asked.

Mitsuji had to continue. His classmates were training hard and he couldn't let his nervousness and weaknesses get in his way. He would defeat Momo and be a great hero.

"Y-Yes ma'am!", Mitsuji answered.

He lost again. Thanks to Momo's sleeping gas, he became unconscious. It was a great fight compared to the first one. He was able to keep Momo away for a while with his flames and when she threw the net, he avoided them. And instead of wrapping himself with flames when Momo would rush towards him with a net, he wrapped himself with electricity instead. However, he still got captured and used the earth to give her trouble and prevent her from using her sleeping gas. But in the end, she still won. The difference in skills and experience was huge. Any tricks he came up were countered easily.

Mitsuji hoped that he wouldn't be given another lap pillow and when he woke up, he was greeted by the clinic's ceiling.

"Oh. You're awake", Momo, who was seated beside his bed, said.

"Thank you…", Mitsuji said.

"For what?"

"D-Don't mind me" he stammered.

Momo was confused.

"Do you feel anything weird?", she asked.

"No.. I feel refreshed for sleeping twice in the same afternoon", he answered.

"I see. Now, let's go back to the dorm, Saiga", Momo told him.

"No. Don't worry. I can handle myself" he said adamantly. He hated having to depend on everyone all the time. But that wasn't the only reason.

Walking home with a girl was too much for Mitsuji, The only person he ever walked home with was Mitsuo. His heart wasn't ready for such a leap. After all, walking home contains conversations and interactions. And he couldn't imagine himself to do that.

"Okay. We'll train again tomorrow", Momo said.

"Yes ma'am", Mitsuji replied and walked out of the clinic.

When he arrived at the dorm, he took a shower and then crashed into his bed.

In one of the rooms of Class 1-A's dormitory, a person was holding a shell.

"Do they suspect you?", a raspy voice that originated from the shell asked.

"Not in the slightest", the person said.

"Do your job properly and we'll keep our end of the deal"

"Do not worry. I will make sure that your plans will be done, Shigaraki" the dorm dweller replied ominously.


	16. Chapter 13: Primal Split: Inner Workings

Mitsuji woke up by falling from his bed. His alarm clock hadn't gone off yet and when he looked out of his window, the sun wasn't even up. He went back to his bed and tried to sleep but he couldn't. The boy sighed and decided to go to the common area to have a glass of cold water.

When he arrived there, he saw a girl with doggish ears drinking milk and was sitting on the couch. His plan was to get a glass of water, drink it silently, and walk back to his room without bothering her. Girls weren't his forte… as if he was actually good with anything. However, his plan failed when he was about to leave the kitchen after satisfying his thirst.

"Hey there!", the girl said.

Mitsuji almost let out a shriek.

"Are you okay? You're really pale", she asked getting very close to his face.

"I-I-I'm fine. Gotta go!", he replied.

"Wait! You're that nervous guy in the first fight. You were awesome! What's you name again?"

"M-Mitsuji S-Saiga! Gotta go!"

"Sheesh. You're too nervous. I may be a wolf but I don't bite", the girl pouted.

"It's n-not like that. I'm not good with people… I'm also not good with girls, especially beautiful ones"

The girl blushed.

"Beautiful eh? Hehehe", the girl said elbowing Mitsuji with more force than she may have realised.

 _I need to get out! I need to get away! Somebody help me!_ , Mitsuji thought desperately.

"I'm Aome Okami. Nice to meet you", she introduced herself.

"Yeah. Gotta go!", Mitsuji told her for the last time and walked stiffly to the elevator.

"Early in the morning and my heart couldn't take it!", he panted.

Mitsuji sat on the elevator's floor and an indescribable feeling appeared in his chest.

"Am I really suited to be a hero?", he asked himself with a low voice.

"Are you ready kiddos?!", Matthew asked as he entered the room.

He had a huge smile as he walked to the teacher's table.

"We will have a special and important activity today!", he announced.

 _Another test?!_ , everyone thought.

"It's time… to pick a class representative!"

Everyone got excited.

"Pick me! Pick me!", Aome shouted and waved her hands.

"If anyone should be the class representative, it should be someone like me!", Watabe exclaimed.

"As Bakugou-senpai's sidekick, that position belongs to me!", Narruk shouted.

"If that's the case, being Midoriya-senpai's sidekick also grants me that benefit", Jacob replied to Narruk.

Everyone was shouting their names and was asking the teacher to pick them except for a few.

"Are you planning to be the class rep?", Kai asked Mitsuji.

"That's impossible for me", Mitsuji replied.

Matthew fired a gun and silenced everyone.

"We'll do this democratically! Everyone! Write a name on a piece of paper and place it on the ballot in front!", he instructed them.

"But what if everyone writes themselves?", Tang asked.

"Don't worry. I noticed that there are some who wouldn't mind not being the class representative. That's why do not worry and vote away!", Matthew answered.

Everyone started writing on their papers. Mitsuji was stuck. He didn't know who to write. Should he write Jacob's name since they were friends? Mitsuji objected to that since he mustn't be biased. He tried to observe everyone and remembered that he didn't interact with them much. When there was a dorm party, he remained in his room. When people tried to approach him, he would try to get away as soon as possible.

 _What should I do?_ , he asked himself.

He decided to give up and wrote Nagai Tokuhei in his paper. He didn't know much about him but judging from his appearance and how respectful he was, he seemed to be a good choice unlike the wild Narruk or hero-obsessed Jacob.

After a while, the votes were counted and Nagai won with 4 votes. Kokoro became the vice class representative with 3 votes. The rest had 0 to 1 votes. The winners were sent to the front and were told to give a speech.

"Everyone! I sincerely thank you for placing your trust in me. Rest assured that I will not fail you and I will do everything in my power to help you when you need me", Nagai said seriously, but then gave a reassuring smile when he noticed Mitsuji's pale look.

"Hello everyone. I can't believe that I'm the vice class representative but I will do my best to not disappoint. Although I might be lacking, let's work together to make our dreams come true", she said and smiled.

After that, homeroom ended and classes begun. Time marched on and classes ended for the day. Mitsuji got out of the classroom only to see a girl with a spiky ponytail waiting for him.

"S-Senpai.."..

"Hello there, Saiga. Now let's go", Momo told him and walked ahead.

A few classmates were whispering about her appearance with awe, and Mitsuji was uncomfortable.

Mitsuji followed her silently.

"How was school today?", she asked, breaking the silence.

' "I-It was the s-same as usual except that today we picked a class representative"

"I see"

Momo couldn't think of anymore topics to discuss. She knew that Mitsuji was a nervous boy and in order for him to be a great hero, he had to remove that nervousness. Mitsuji had a powerful Quirk and she acknowledged that fact. However, she felt that he wasn't using his full power and was holding back either intentionally or unintentionally. It was her job to bring out his full power.

They arrived at Gym Gamma. It looked like a regular gym with concrete floors.

"Are you sure it's alright to use this place?", Mitsuji asked.

"It's okay. Aizawa-sensei said that we can use whatever facilities we need to use in training our sidekicks", Momo answered.

Momo then made a red matryoshka doll and showed it to Mitsuji.

"This is a special doll. If it is heated to a certain temperature, it'll explode. Also, if it receives enough shock from impact, it'll explode. I want you to shoot flames at it until it explodes while it is being thrown at you", Momo explained.

"Eh? Isn't it a bit dangerous?", he asked.

"Being a hero is dangerous", she replied firmly.

 _1…2…_

Momo threw the doll and Mitsuji shot flames at it. The doll exploded. Momo then created two more and threw it at him. The dolls exploded when it came into contact with his flames. She continued creating and throwing dolls at him while he just made them explode.

 _28…29…30_

` Mitsuji dodged the doll heading towards him.

"Why did you dodge?", Momo asked.

"I can only use an element for 30 seconds then I have to wait for some time again to be able to fight", he answered.

Momo took note of that in her brain. It would be nice if she could somehow increase the time he could use an element or decrease the time for him to be able to fight again but she had to focus on the basics first. She had to be sure that his aim was good since he was a mid-ranged fighter.

Time passed as they trained and Momo decided to change things. She produced a yellow matryoshka doll.

"You can use earth, fire, and electricity, right?", she asked.

"Yes"

"This doll is also a special doll. If it receives enough charge, it'll explode and if it receives impact, it'll also explode"

Mitsuji paled.

"W-W-Wait!", he screamed.

"What's wrong?", Momo asked.

"It's true that I can use electricity but I can't aim with it. It doesn't follow a straight line and goes everywhere especially high voltages! That's why I can only use the electric element to zap people when they're close enough", Mitsuji explained.

Momo thought for a while.

"That is troubling. Very well. For now, let's continue with the flame dolls", Momo said and discarded the yellow matryoshka.

Meanwhile, Yuga and Kai were at the field and were shooting their laser beams at the sky. Kai was standing up and shooting off the laser from his hands while Yuga was lying on the ground and shooting off laser from his stomach.

"Ummm. Aoyama-senpai? How long are we going to do this?", Kai asked.

"Monsieur Hikari, we will be doing this for the entire afternoon", Yuga answered.

Kai was getting worried. His hands were getting hot and his arms were getting sore.

"I know that shooting lasers has demerits especially on the body part the laser comes out from. That is why I'm making you go above your upper limit by shooting as long as you can", Yuga explained.

Kai gritted his teeth and endured the sting in his hands. He already felt that he was reaching his limit but as what his upperclassman said, he had to break through his limit.

"DIE!", Katsuki shouted.

On the other side of the field, Narruk and Katsuki were training. Narruk tried to kick, punch, and even bite Katsuki but he was too mobile for the wolfman. It didn't take a while before Narruk was down on the ground

"You done already? Not enough, dog! Run 100 laps around the field!", Katsuki ordered him.

"Yes! Bakugou-senpai!", Narruk shouted and began running. Katsuki flew beside him and threw insults like a marine sergeant.

In Ground Gamma, Tsuyu was hopping around while Aome was chasing her.

"Hurry up kero. When you are rescuing someone, time is important", Tsuyu advised her.

"Yes, Tsuyu-senpai!", Aome replied as she made jumped from one pipe to another using her beast-like strength and agility.

Every student of Class 1-A were training hard with their upperclassmen. And the days went on in a flash.

"Now that you're training period is done, it's time for you to return to your regular schedules. You can still ask your upperclassmen for some advice and train with them in your free time. Whether you think you wasted your time or made good use of it, the activity was a success", Aizawa said.

Tenya raised his hand.

"Sensei! What do you mean by that? Are you saying that the entire purpose of this activity is not to train someone but just to make the upperclassmen and lowerclassmen know each other?", he asked.

"It's somewhere along that line. By having lowerclassmen train with you, they'll know how far they can grow in just 1 year in UA. Also, by providing them a model and an upperclassman they can look up to, they will strive to improve better", Matthew explained.

"What about the upperclassmen?", Kokoro asked.

"Your upperclassmen already grew strong enough. Some of them might think that they are already stagnating. By letting them see the common mistakes of beginners, they will reflect on themselves and see things in a different perspective", Aizawa answered.

"In other words, the supplementary lessons were just a joke!", Matthew said with a wink.

"WHAAAAAAT?!", Class 1-A exclaimed while Class 2-A looked like they were used to this.

After a while, the lowerclassmen were talking to their upperclassmen.

"It's been fun talking to you, Midoriya-senpai", Jacob said.

"Let's talk about heroes again soon, Wilson", Izuku replied.

"Todoroki-senpai! Thank you!", Suzumi said.

"Don't mind it. Don't forget what I taught you", Shoto replied.

"Always remember how to distract your opponents", Mezo told Drake.

"It was tiring but yeah, I won't forget"

As everyone was talking to their upperclassmen, Momo looked at Mitsuji who was quietly standing at a corner and fidgeting.

"What's wrong Yaomomo?", Mina asked.

"I felt that I failed" she said dejectedly.

"Why?"

"All I could do was train him with the basics. I couldn't make him into a great hero. I wish I could've done more with him"

"Don't worry! You still have a chance since you can train him if he wants to!"

Momo smiled at what her friend said but deep down, she felt regret. She wasted his time doing nothing but drills and didn't even tackle his biggest problem. She felt that she was a failure as an upperclassman. The only thing she could do was hope that he would find a way out of his problems. However, she had to think of a chance to prevent his downfall.

And with that, the day ended.

 **So, I didn't realise the dorm party was happening before this! I'll probably still post an Interlude for that after this chapter so look out for that :D**


	17. Primal Split: A Note From the Author

Update: Sorry I haven't updated in a month. Real life came at me hard with regards to exams and work. Let it be known I have not forgotten about this project, and I brainstorm for it daily. As I want to write a good dorm party with most of Class 1-A, it's taken a while to get some good material; if I were still uploading Sera's work it would be a lot quicker, but it makes sense to upload this dorm party first. Hopefully you can expect new content soon, and I'm really sorry once again!


	18. Interlude 3: Dorm Party

_**After the 2 vs. 2 training, and before the 1-on-1 training….**_

 _ **1-A dorms, 8 pm…**_

"Hey! Nozomi-chan! Over here!" Aome said playfully, beckoning the other girl over. "You've got to see my dorm room. I've got all sorts of cool stuff here. There's workout equipment and I even bought my dance revolution mat from home! Isn't it cool?"

"I'm impressed you managed to get all this over here! You're strong alright" Nozomi teased Aome punching her arm lightly. Aome responded in kind, and the two giggled. They had hit it off almost immediately after moving in, both being active and very friendly to each other.

"Hey now come on. The dorm party was supposed to start 2 minutes ago…" Tang Izumi interjected behind them. "We're gonna be late. It's in the common room…right?"

"O-oh, right! Thanks Izumi-chan" Aome replied politely. Nozomi thought to herself how Tang could be a bit of a wet blanket. They'd have to spice up her life a bit.

At that moment, Suzumi Midoriya and Kai Hikari were walking down the hall towards them. They appeared to have met earlier before the party too. Upon seeing the others, Suzumi called out to them and beckoned them over.

"Midoriya and Hikari huh…" mused Nozomi subtly, and the others just gave her puzzled looks. They decided to join up and head to the common room together.

Everyone else was already at the common room. That is everyone but Mitsuji Saiga. Aome, puzzled at this, asked Nagai Tokuhei about his whereabouts.

"Jacob and I tried to knock on his door earlier. Saiga-kun simply isn't answering his door at all. I got that he was nervous but this…" Nagai looked worried.

"Tokuhei-kun, I wouldn't worry" Jacob interjected calmly. "It wouldn't do any good to force him. He needs to come out if his shell voluntarily".

"Wow…I didn't know you were a poet!" Nagai mused sarcastically, to which Nozomi laughed. Jacob, red in the face, quickly walked away.

"That…wasn't good of me. I'll go apologise to him later." Nagai said worriedly.

"Oh, come on prez. Just because you're our class rep doesn't mean everything you say and do needs to be censored. I personally like sarcastic Tokuhei" Nozomi said playfully.

"A-ah! Is that so!" Nagai replied but then quickly composed herself. "Anyway, I should go check with the others how it's going." He walked off.

 _Well, it's gonna be harder to make him chill out than that I guess_ Nozomi thought nonchalantly.

Meanwhile across the room, Purorakudo Gemu and Drake Smith were having an animated conversation about video games. It was literally the first time anyone had seen Drake come out of his usual aloof self, and the people around them were visibly shocked. Erude Rikaga decided to chime in on the conversation, and he soon learnt why they had hit it off.

"Get this. He's really good at MMORPGs, and he's won a significant tournament in the States. And his online handle is Drakefire! How awesome is that?" Drake said animatedly about Gemu.

"Ah come on, it's not THAT big a deal" Purorakudo replied embarrassed, but Erude could see he took pride in his new friend's respect for him.

"It is! You know, it sure is a shame you couldn't use your Quirk in the battle exercises, it sounds pretty cool." Drake said inquisitively. Before Erude could pipe in as to what Gemu's Quirk was, a loud conversation from across the room caught everyone's attention.

Kokoro Nanami and Narruk Mondronen were having what seemed to be a heated debate. Although Kokoro was still mostly calm; it was Narruk that was doing the yelling.

"I was just reasoning with you. You seem to revel in the violence of altercations. I was merely asking why this is. You know I'm the complete opposite when you come to violence." Kokoro said calmly, trying to defuse the situation. She was aware of the many eyes in the room on them.

"Excuse me? Where do you get off telling me about what I enjoy or not!?" Narruk snarled, waving his fist angrily. "I don't _enjoy_ violence. I enjoy fighting, sure. Get it right."

"Come on, we're just having a civilised discussion. Take your bout with Saiga-kun as an example. You seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on him".

"That. Isn't. True. I gave him my all, just like he gave me his. If anything, I consider it an achievement that he pushed me to that level. Maybe if you took the front line instead of singing your way out of situations, you'd understand." he snapped at her, then turned around and stormed off, muttering under his breath.

"H-hey…that isn't…." Kokoro didn't finish her sentence, and looked down a bit dejectedly.

Nagai walked up to her and comforted her. "You handled that situation well Vice President. There was no sense in rising to his challenge anyway. You both just see things differently. And differing opinions can coexist. It may not be my place, but try seeing things from his point of view. I'm sure this will soon be water under the bridge."

Kokoro looked up and smiled. "Thanks, Tokuhei-kun. Sometimes you seem way older than you are." To this, Nagai coughed a bit " _Was that supposed to be a complement? Is she saying I'm an old man? Why do women love to speak in riddles!"_ he thought worriedly.

In another corner, Shiroi Kiri and Arakawa Juene were reading different books together. They had both mostly avoided talking, and were reading shoulder to shoulder like a married couple. It was hilarious, but also heart-warming.

"Arakawa-kun…may I borrow more of your books tomorrow?" Shiroi said shyly, to which Arakawa smiled warmly and responded "Of course. My library is open to all who desire knowledge. Or something like that."

"Oooh! Can I read something! Do you have manga!?" Watabe Kiyonaga piped in suddenly like an overactive child experiencing their first sugar rush. He had been wearing out everyone in the party, and now it was these two bookworms turns'.

"Haha, sure Kiyonaga-san!" Arakawa responded kindly. He had been hoping to bring Shiroi out of his shell, but good progress had been made already. He decided to ease up a bit.

"Oh! Please! Just call me Watabe!" Watabe responded in an excited tone.

"W-what? I couldn't possibly…" Arakawa responded off guard and the amusing conversation continued while Shiroi was absorbed in his book.

In a corner of the room, Runa Tenshi and Tsubaki Kamiya were calmly discussing and reviewing the prior battle simulations.

"Your Quirk certainly is potent…but the stipulation of holding your breath seems troublesome…" Runa mused.

"Oh, certainly. But to be fair, the same can be said for you. Aerial combat is a boon to be sure, and furthermore projectiles are truly a gift. But indoor situations and being trapped or having your wings clipped are all deal breakers."

"I never thought of it that way. I'd like to continue this talk. Would you like me to get you a soda?" Runa offered, to which Tsubaki accepted. Runa walked off briefly.

 _I was afraid everyone here would be somewhat mindless teenagers….it is actually quite nice to have a few combat pragmatists to discuss tactics with_ Tsubaki thought, and her opinion the 1-A students as a collective raised slightly. She had found it a bit hard to fit in due to her mostly serious nature, but there were some like-minded hero candidates. It truly warmed her heart.

"It sucks that Saiga never showed up after all…" Kai looked dejectedly, but Suzumi who had been talking to him tried to reassure him. "I'm sure he'll warm up to us. All of us. Besides, Niriyama-kun and Hisakawa-kun didn't see fit to grace us with their presence either."

Just at that moment, a loud bang down the halls startled everyone.

"It came from near the boy's dorms…I shall go and 'check it out'" Nagai said boldly. He was still getting used to casual language. He attempted to get everyone to stay put and enjoy their party, but it was futile. Everyone decided to head to the source of the noise.

Near the 1-A boy's dorms, Kuroi Niriyama and Daichi Hisakawa were stood across from each other. They both were in defensive stances.

"Why are you bothering me anyway? I already told you I want nothing to do with you" Daichi said in a deadpan, bored manner.

"The hell? Think about me however you want, but don't disrespect me out loud. Besides you couldn't be more wrong insect." Kuroi said murderously. He was seconds away from summoning his mutant cells.

"This is exactly what I mean. Hair trigger responses. Aggressive at the drop of a hat. We both know you're not fit to be a hero. Why don't you go get a job as a bouncer or even a villain? Seems to work out for bullies. The strong are defined by discipline. Power is discipline. Not childish chaos." Daichi responded with perhaps the most conviction he had ever outwardly shown.

"YOU. DO NOT. KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT ME." Kuroi shouted suddenly and his tentacles erupted from his back and immediately shot at Daichi. Daichi calmly sidestepped the closest one to him and grabbed the other with near bullet time precision. It was ridiculously impressive. Even Kuroi was momentarily stunned.

"THAT. IS ENOUGH!" Nagai yelled angrily as he came upon the scene. All the other students were peeping behind him inquisitively.

"Shut up. it's not like you can take either of us." Kuroi said off-handedly. Nagai did not rise to the comment, but said with seething rage. "You've damaged Hisakawa's door with your ability. I expect you to repair that with your own hands. Or I could tell sensei and you'd have to do that and worse. What's your call, Niriyama kun?" He had a cold glare in his eyes, that momentarily disarmed both of the fighters. Everyone behind Nagai was floored. They'd only ever seen him as polite and cordial. Kokoro secretly thought how she'd probably never have done the same given her nature. She counted her blessings that she didn't have to be the one to step in.

"Tch…whatever. I understand. But this isn't over you insect bastard. Next time we clash I'll make sure you respect me." Kuroi called out to Daichi and relinquished his tentacles. Daichi merely stared straight at him. Kuroi walked into his room.

Nagai sighed, and everyone behind him released their breath. He turned to the rest. "I'm sorry, but we should probably cut this party short. Nanami-san, would you please assist me with the clean up efforts? I'd appreciate anyone else's input too but it isn't required" he said, back to his cordial self.

All the students expect Hisakawa and Niriyama decided to help out. Kai wondered internally whether Saiga had heard this altercation.

 _ **And so, their daily lives continued…**_


	19. Chapter 14: Motivation

The UA Sports Festival: a huge once-in-a-year event in Japan that everyone wanted to watch. People who want excitement, children who want to see action, and even pro heroes who want to see potential sidekicks wait for this huge event.

Everyone in UA who dreams to be a hero knew that the sports festival was huge step for them. With many people watching, they can show off what they learned and tell everyone what kind of hero they were. That was why almost everyone in Class 1-A was excited when they heard the announcement that the sports festival will start in two weeks. And as usual, a certain person was worried.

 _What should I do?,_ Mitsuji thought.

"I'm getting pumped up!", Narrruk shouted.

"It's time to show off what I got!", Watabe exclaimed.

"It's nice to see you kiddos happy but remember: this chance only comes by three times in your stay here in UA. So make good use of it", Matthew advised.

With that, homeroom ended and morning classes began. Time passed by and soon, it was lunch time. Sighing, Mitsuji walked towards the cafeteria when he felt a tap on the shoulder.

"Are you okay, Saiga?", Kokoro asked.

"Uwaaaaah!", Mitsuji screamed and fell butt-first to the floor.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry if I startled you", Kokoro apologized.

"I-I-It's okay! Gotta go!", he was about to run but she grabbed his hand.

"If it's okay with you, you can talk to me about anything. I noticed that while in class, you were pale and your mind seemed distant. I may not be able to do much but as the vice class representative, I will do my best to help… you…", she trailed off when she saw Mitsuji wasn't responding at all.

He passed out while standing up.

Mitsuji opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of the nurse's office.

"Thank goodness you're awake! I was afraid since you passed out suddenly", Kokoro, who was sitting beside his bed, said.

"Uwaaaaah!"

"Silence!", Recovery Girl scolded Mitsuji.

The two of them became quiet. Mitsuji stared at his fingers and avoided eye contact with Kokoro. Kokoro, on the other hand, had one question in her head.

"Ummm… Saiga? Am I scary?", Kokoro asked with teary eyes.

Her question caught him off-guard. He then became guilty.

"N-No! It's just that I'm nervous around g-girls and basically everything e-else that's why I'm acting this way! I s-swear on my soul that you are not scary!", Mitsuji answered.

"Thank goodness! I was afraid that I was some sort of monster", she said and smiled.

Her smile eased Mitsuji's guilt and he calmed down.

"So you're nervous for the sports festival too?", Kokoro asked.

"Y-Yes. I'm a total wreck", he answered.

Kokoro let out a small giggle.

"Everyone feels that way. It's what you should do with that feeling matter", she advised.

"What do you mean?"

"If you let your nervousness get hold of you and you do nothing, then you lose. But if you work hard and train hard, that nervousness will soon be replaced with confidence"

Kokoro stood up.

"Now let's go to our next class. It's a shame but our lunch time has been taken up", she told him.

"I'm sorry for taking up your time", Mitsuji apologized.

"Don't worry about it. Time spent helping friends is time well spent", she told him with a smile.

 _She's an angel_ , Mitsuji thought.

They went to the classroom but Mitsuji walked way behind her. The two of them arrived in the classroom just in time for the heroics class to start.

Toshinori entered the classroom.

"You already know that the sports festival is two weeks from now. That is why I'm allowing you to train yourselves in my classes. Ground Beta and Ground Gamma are open for you to train. The gym, pool, and field are also open so feel free to use them in the next two weeks. Plus Ultra!", Toshinori said.

Everyone walked out of the room except for Mitsuji.

"What should I do?", Mitsuji muttered.

He was troubled. The 30 second limit and 2 second switch time were his weaknesses. If he could increase his limit or decrease his switch time, he would be stronger. And if he was strong, then he wouldn't be nervous.

Mitsuji got out of the classroom and saw a black-haired girl waiting for him.

"Hello Saiga", Momo greeted him.

"Senpai…"

The two of them walked together out of the school building. Or at least, that was what Momo hoped for. Mitsuji was walking way behind her.

"I can't talk to you if you're that far away!", Momo told him.

"B-But…"

"No buts!", she said and moved close to him.

"W-W-What do you want from me?", he asked.

"I want to talk with you"

They sat on a bench. Sitting beside Momo made Mitsuji nervous. He wondered why she wanted to talk to him. Was it something he did? Or was it something he said while he was being trained by her?

"I want to apologize", she said.

That surprised Mitsuji.

"For what?", he asked.

"I failed as an upperclassman", she answered.

"What makes you say so?"

"I did nothing but train you physically. I should've connected with you and learned more about you. That way, I could've done something about your nervousness. I noticed it but I didn't do anything about it which makes me a failure", she explained.

"D-Don't apologize I-It's not your fault. I should be the one to blame for not opening up to you… And besides… my nervousness isn't that easy to cure…"

"I see…"

They sat in silence.

"Are you free tomorrow?", she asked.

"Yeah. Why?", he answered.

Mitsuji stood in front of 2-A dormitory. He was wearing a plain white shirt, a black hoodie, jeans, and blue rubber shoes. His heart raced as he waited for Momo.

 _What could she be planning? Why did she ask for my time during the weekend?_ he asked in his head.

"Sorry for the wait", Momo said.

Mitsuji looked at her and was amazed at what he saw. She was wearing an elegant white blouse, a brown skirt, black leggings, and boots.

"Now then, let's go", she said.

Mitsuji followed her.

"Ummm. It would actually be great if you aren't that far away", Momo told him after a while since Mitsuji was walking way behind her.

"It's impossible! I can't possibly go near you!", Mitsuji replied from afar.

"What's the matter? Why can't you do it?"

"Because… of reasons…", he muttered.

She went close to him and pulled his arm.

"Fuee! Senpai! Please let go!", he pleaded.

"No! Today's training is getting over your nervousness. Even if it's just your nervousness over girls, that would be great progress", she told him and tightened her grip.

"Please! Why do I need this training? Please let me go!"

"Being a pro hero means that you work with different heroes. And there will come a time that you will work with female pros"

Mitsuji stopped resisting.

"O-Okay… I got it… Just please let go of my arm", he resigned.

"Good", she let go of his arm.

"I just have to w-walk beside you right?"

"Yes"

The two of them walked out of UA's gates and into the city. They arrived at Musutafu Megamall. People walked in and out of the stalls. Teenagers, families, and even heroes were relaxing and buying things, People of different shapes and sizes all enjoyed the peace of the mall.

"What should we do?", Momo asked.

"S-So many people", Mitsuji had a pale face.

"Even crowds are making you nervous?", Momo asked in surprise.

Momo thought for a while. She wondered what could be a good place for the two of them. Someplace Mitsuji could relax and yet at the same time, talk to her.

They entered a coffee shop and sat down on a table. Mitsuji was avoiding eye contact with her and was fidgeting. Mitsuji ordered espresso while Momo ordered black tea.

"I've been wondering for a while. Why are you so nervous around people?", she asked.

Mitsuji was silent.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but it is crucial in getting over your nervousness", Momo added.

"I'm not good with people. I'm just a no-good little brother", he answered.

Momo was confused at what he said.

"Have you heard of Cosmic Hero: Darkbright?", he asked.

"Yes. She's a good hero that became rank 14 immediately after a year of her career. And currently, she's ranked 11", Momo answered.

"That's right. I'm her little brother", Mitsuji said.

Momo was surprised. She saw Darkbright in the news and in action before. Darkbright was capable, confident, and had a shining aura that eased the people around her. Her sidekicks were all smiles and were proud to be working with her. She was a wonderful hero.

"And now you're wondering what makes us so different", Mitsuji said.

She was surprised that he managed to read her mind.

"Sis is a great person. Ever since we were young, she excelled at everything. Sports, academics, and anything. She always helps out at home and was the school's model student", Mitsuji said.

Momo listened intently.

"And then, there's me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't match up to her. She was better than me in every field. And to add to that, I'm clumsy and stupid. I have to place in effort while Sis had the talent. But my efforts were meaningless. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach the expectations others set upon me because I am her little brother. I couldn't do anything as I continued messing up. That's why I'm nervous. I don't want to stain her name by messing up even more", he continued.

Mitsuji was silent for a while and looked at the window.

"When she said she wanted to be a hero, I knew it was impossible for me. And yet, here I am. But sometimes, I wonder whether I could do it. It's becoming harder and harder and I think… I'm reaching my limit", he added.

"No! Don't think of it that way!", Momo scolded him.

"Huh?"

"Go beyond. Plus Ultra. That's our school's motto isn't it? If you're reaching your limit, then break through it. If you mess up, then rise up again. That's what it means. Nobody becomes successful without failing", Momo told him.

Their orders arrived and Momo sipped her tea.

"I've also encountered the same problem. I doubted whether I really was worthy to be in UA. But a certain friend of mine helped me regain my confidence. Saiga, you are strong and will be a wonderful hero. I believe in you", Momo told him with a smile.

"Senpai…", Mitsuji sobbed.

"A-Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?", she asked in panic.

He shook his head.

"It's the first time that somebody actually believed in me. I'm happy", Mitsuji said as he wiped his tears.

Momo smiled and handed him a tissue. He began wiping his face and for the first time, she saw him smile.

"Thank you, Senpai"


	20. Chapter 15: The Great Race!

Two weeks have passed and all of the nation's attention was focused on UA. The audience filled up the seats of the 1st year's stadium.

"Do you think this year will be good?", a pro hero asked.

"Let's just wait and see. But I believe that there's bound to be some diamonds in the rough", another one answered.

A young woman with grey hair and silver eyes sat down on a chair. She was wearing a white chestplate, white gauntlets, and white boots. Her body was outfitted with a black body suit. Metal wings sprouted on her back with the right one being white while the left one being black.

"Let's what you got, Mitsuji", she said.

"C-C-Calm down… I can do this. Just think of them as vegetables…", Mitsuji muttered.

"You're too nervous. Just think of this as one huge game and you'll be fine!", a voice behind him said and tapped on his shoulder.

Mitsuji turned around and saw a guy with short spiky black hair and glasses.

"W-Who are you?", Mitsuji asked.

"Purorakudo Gemu. I'm your classmate", he said and offered his hand.

Mitsuji shook his hand and he smiled.

"We might be classmates but I won't be holding back. However, that doesn't mean that you should be nervous", Purorakudo said.

Another boy walked towards them. He had long shaggy brown hair and had odd eyes. One of his eyes was light blue while the other was flame orange.

"Hey Drakefire! Are you ready?", he asked.

"Ah! You bet I am! I'm just hyping up a classmate of ours", Purorakudo answered.

"Sheesh. You're just adding more to the competition", he then looked at Mitsuji.

"Ah! You're that nervous guy in the first match. I'm Drake Smith. Let's see if we can both make it to the finals", Drake said.

"Attention 1st year students. Please proceed to the gate. The event is starting soon", the speakers announced.

"Well. Good luck to you!", Purorakudo said and walked away.

Drake waved his hand and followed him.

"What's up with those two?", Mitsuji asked himself.

"EVERYONE! ARE YOU READY?!" Present Mic asked and everyone in the audience cheered.

"Audience! Watch as the clash of adolescence unfold before your eyes! Mass media! Be sure to record this moment into history as today, the first step of future heroes begins!", Present Mic shouted into the microphone.

"Beginning with the first class, the hero course, 1-A!"

Class 1-A walked outside of the corridor and towards the arena. Mitsuji almost had a heart attack when he saw the number of people in the audience. Also, standing on a wide space made him uncomfortable. But…

 _Everything's going to be fine. I just have to believe in myself like how Senpai believes in me,_ he thought.

"Next up! The second class of heroes, 1-B!"

20 students walked out of the corridor.

"Also, here comes the General Department, Classes C,D, and E!"

More students walked out.

"Support course, Classes F,G, and H are here too!"

Students equipped with gadgets walked to the arena.

"And last but not the least, the Business Course, Classes I, J, and K!"

Students who didn't seem to be interested in the sports festival casually walked towards the arena.

"All of the 1st year students are now here! Are you ready young listeners?!"

A man with long blue hair tied up in a ponytail climbed up a stage and faced the students. He was wearing a full body suit that was sky blue in color.

"Who is he?", a pro hero asked.

"Dunno", another one answered.

"Ah. Ako-sensei is the umpire for this year huh?", Aome asked.

Nagusawa Ako was a pro hero and a teacher in UA. He was the Modern Literature teacher for the 1st year student. Not much is known about him as he doesn't interact much with his students and no one even knows his hero name.

"Time for the player pledge. Representing the students is Daichi Hisakawa from Class 1-A", he said in a serious tone.

A boy with white hair and red eyes walked towards the stage and looked at the mic.

"I pledge to have a positive attitude and accept responsibility for my participation by following this code of ethics: I will encourage and demonstrate good sportsmanship. I will be a good sport and play fair. I will put winning and losing in perspective. I will not engage in any unsportsmanlike conduct such as booing, taunting or refusing to shake hands, or using profane language or gestures. I will never question an official. I will give 100% in games. I believe in myself and my abilities. I will learn from my mistakes. I will treat other players, officials, and fans with respect. I will remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. I will remember that sports are an opportunity to learn and have fun", Daichi pledged.

"Why is he the one doing the pledging?", Runa asked.

"Well… I heard he placed first in the entrance exams", Tang answered.

"Him? He doesn't look strong at all", Narruk boasted.

Daichi walked down from the stage and everyone looked at him. He wasn't even fazed at the number of people staring at him.

 _Uwaah. I wish I was as confident as him_ , Mitsuji thought.

"The first game is the qualifier round. This year is the same as last year, an obstacle course", Nagusawa said.

"Many students lose here so you'd better not get your hopes up. All 11 classes will be part of the race. The entire course will be the outer circumference of the stadium which is around 4 kilometers. And doesn't matter what you do, as long as you're in the course, you can do whatever you want", he explained.

Everyone faced the gate that leads outside the coliseum. The lights on the gate started to go out and when the last one went off, Present Mic shouted "START!"

All of the students ran at once. However…

"Gaah! This is too narrow!", one student complained.

"Somebody help me!", Mitsuji heard someone say that… It must've been him but he removed that thought from his head.

He then noticed a dragonfly move its way past the crowd and exited the narrow gate. It then transformed into Daichi.

"The first one out is Daichi Hisakawa from the hero course!"

A student with four red tentacle-like things coming out of his back followed. He used his tentacles as legs and moved faster than a normal person running.

"Second is Kuroi Niriyama from the hero course!"

"Kufufufu. I'm not letting you get first place", Kuroi said.

Daichi didn't reply as he continued running.

More and more students got out of the narrow gate. And then…

"Woah! Flying at a great speed, we have Runa Tenshi from the hero course being in the third place!"

Runa flew and shot her feathers at Kuroi. He avoided them but he couldn't counterattack because she was too far above.

"Isn't that cheating? She's practically flying over obstacles", a pro hero asked.

"Anything is fine as long as they remain on the course", Nagusawa answered.

Everyone ran as fast as they could even Mitsuji. He didn't have any time to be nervous. If he was planning to win this, he had to be focused. After all, she believed in him.

But even if he was determined to win, it was not enough to make him go any faster. That was the harsh reality as he was somewhere in the 30th place in the race.

 _Damn it! Can't I go any faster?,_ he thought.

Narruk and Aome raced side by side with their enhanced speed and fought for the 7th place.

"Move, dog!", Aome shouted.

"You move! Halfling!", he shouted back.

Then they noticed something bright fly above them. It was Kai shooting out lasers from both of his hands and was flying due to the force of the lasers.

 _Got to close the gap as much as I can_ , Kai thought.

Kokoro sang a song about the speed of wind, the lightness of feathered birds, and the swiftness of a rabbit. She glowed and ran faster than she normally could.

Tsubaki held her breath and time slowed down. Everyone was moving in slow motion as she ran. However, it didn't take long for her to run out of breath.

 _It's a shame but I guess I have to pace myself_ , she thought.

"Yo, Tenshi", Nagai said.

Runa looked up and was surprised to see Nagai swimming above her.

"Let's see whether flying in the air or swimming is better", he challenged.

"You're on", she accepted.

Mitsuji looked around and saw that even more students passing him. And with everyone in the lead, he was bound to lose. He was getting nervous.

 _Calm down… That's right! I hate doing this but…_

 _1…2…_

Electricity came from him and shocked everyone around him. People who were in front, side, and behind him couldn't escape his shocking attack. They collapsed to the ground and were fried. Mitsuji panted for a while and continued running.

 _They can't get in the lead if they are down_ , he thought.

"And a shocking move from Mitsuji Saiga from the hero course! By zapping his opponents out, he has less competition!", Present Mic commentated.

"Saiga?!", Aome asked, who wasn't affected since she was too far away, in surprise.

"He had the nerve to do that?", Kai, who also wasn't affected, asked.

"What a wonderful way to utilize his quirk. As I expected, he's dangerous", Jacob said.

An explosion occurred in front of the lead. Daichi and Kuroi looked and saw a lot of robots.

"They reached the first obstacle! Robot Mayhem!", Present Mic announced.

"Whaat? It's just the same as last year", a pro said.

"Is UA running out of ideas?" another one asked.

There were several robots. Some of them were gigantic, some were flying, some had wheels, and some had legs. But all of them looked tough to beat and were equipped with missiles.

 _Now then. How will you get out of this, Mitsuji?,_ the woman with the grey hair asked in her mind.


	21. Chapter 16: Overcoming Obstacles

Numerous robots blocked their paths. Their red visors looked at the students coldly and aimed their weapons at them. One student passed the robots easily by transforming into a dragonfly.

"HE WENT AHEAD! HISAKAWA TAKES THE LEAD AS HE PASSES THE ROBOTS EASILY!", Present Mic commentated.

Daichi returned to his human form and continued running.

One of the giant robots fell as Kuroi attacked its legs using his tentacles. He then ran as fast as he could while taking down robots in his way. Runa and Nagai tried to go above the robots but they were targeted by missiles. Runa managed to take down a missile by shooting it down with her projectile feathers while Nagai splashed it with air. However, more missiles came after them forcing them to retreat for a while.

Every other student fought their own share of robots. A student extended his arm at a fast speed and crushed a robot. Sand covered a robot and was crushed by the sheer pressure of the compressed sand. Mitsuji shot fire at a robot and overheated it, causing it to explode.

"OH! WHAT IS THIS? A STUDENT IS RIDING A ROBOT AND CHASING AFTER THE TWO WHO ARE IN THE LEAD?"

The students saw a boy with short spiky black hair who was riding a flying robot. His name was Purorakodo Gemu. The boy's Quirk was Program. He can understand and rewrite codes within a radius around him. Also, he can talk to machines and make them do his bidding.

"Thanks for the ride", he said to the robot which beeped in reply. He was now in the third place.

"Now then, shoot 'em down!", Purorakodo told the robot and it shot missiles at Daichi and Kuroi.

They managed to avoid the missile.

One by one, the robots were defeated and one by one, the students ran. Mitsuji was around in the 20th place and that wasn't enough. From what he heard, the first round in the sports festival was the round where the most students get eliminated. That was why he had to do his best.

A tall and huge cliff loomed in front of them.

"THEY ARRIVED AT THE SECOND OBSTACLE, CLIFF CLIMB RACING! WATCH AS THEY CONQUER THIS STEEP CLIFF!", Present Mic announced.

The cliff stood 15 meters tall. Everyone already felt their arms going sore knowing that they have no choice but to climb it.

Daichi turned into a dragonfly again and started flying.

"Kufufufu. This is nothing", Kuroi said and climbed up using his tentacles.

He stabbed the cliff using his tentacles and hoisted himself up. Repeating this method, he steadily climbed up.

Purorakodo arrived at the cliff and flew up with his robot. Runa and Nagai fell behind because they dealt with most of the missiles but when they arrived at the second obstacle, they gained their lead back since they were flying (or swimming in Nagai's case).

Mitsuji finally arrived at the cliff.

 _Think! If I were to climb this normally, I would lose too much time. And I need to be in the front if I want to win! Tenshi and Tokuhei easily conquered this, Hisakawa and Niriyama. Think!_ , Mitsuji thought.

Then it struck him. He touched the ground and focused.

 _1…2…_

The ground below him rose up and elevated him.

"SAIGA SURPRISES US AGAIN. HE RAISED HIMSELF UP WITH A PILLAR OF EARTH!"

The earth pillar which elevated him reached the height of the cliff. Mitsuji jumped towards the top of the cliff and started descending downhill. Kuroi and Daichi managed to climb up just in time to see Mitsuji running downwards.

"MITSUJI IS IN THE LEAD!", Present Mic announced and the crowd went wild.

"Kufufufufu! I won't let you get first place, Saiga!", Kuroi shouted.

"….", Daichi glared at him.

Purorakodo arrived and was gaining speed.

Runa and Nagai caught up to them and flew just behind the four. The other students finished climbing up the cliff and chased after them.

 _Keep calm! Keep calm! You made it this far!_ , Mitsuji thought as he desperately ran.

However, he got hit from behind and when he looked back, it was one of Kuroi's red tentacles. Mitsuji fell to the ground and Daichi, Kuroi, Purorakodo, Runa and Nagai went pass him. He immediately got up.

"Damn it!", he ran.

 _1…2…_

A wall made up of earth emerged behind him and blocked the path of the other students. Because it was made hastily, the wall wouldn't hold for too long but he had to buy as much time as he could.

"THE LEAD RETURNS TO HISAKAWA WITH NIRIYAMA RIGHT BEHIND HIM!"

Kuroi was trying hard to get the lead from Daichi by attacking relentlessly with his tentacles but Daichi dodged them all. Kuroi was no longer smiling nor laughing when he attacked Daichi. He was getting serious.

An exploding bullet hit Kuroi's tentacle. Both of them stopped and saw a field filled with turrets.

"THEY FINALLY ARRRIVED AT THE LAST OBSTACLE! NO MAN'S LAND! WITH EXPLOSIVE BULLETS COMING OUT OF THOSE GUNS, THE STUDENTS WILL HAVE A HARD TIME CROSSING TO THE FINISH LINE! BUT DON'T WORRY LISTENERS! THE EXPLOSIVE BULLETS WILL ONLY STING!", Present Mic announced.

Daichi transformed into a human-sized centipede which caused some screams from the females in the audience. He allowed the explosive bullets to hit his exoskeleton.

Meanwhile, Kuroi wrapped his tentacles around him. The explosive bullets just hit his tentacles and didn't even faze him.

Purorakodo was flying high when his robot was hit by an explosive bullet. He told the robot to fire missiles at the turrets while protecting him. Runa got hit and was shot down. She then shielded herself with her wings and ran. Nagai, however, fell behind as he one by one destroyed the turrets.

No Man's Land was the final obstacle. It was designed to balance out the race. Those who are in the lead would have to destroy the turrets and waste time while those who were behind would catch up. The optimal way out of the obstacle was to defend one's self while walking even if that would slow them down.

Mitsuji arrived at the last obstacle and gulped down. Bullets were flying everywhere and his classmates were having a hard time. He steeled himself and ran. The first bullet hit him and exploded. It stung but he didn't stop running.

 _I don't have a choice!_ , Mitsuji said as he was getting hit over and over again.

He touched the ground with his hands.

 _1…2…_

The ground shook and cracks appeared in the ground as the turrets fell into the newly-formed craters. Mitsuji panted and started running. His body was stiff but he didn't give up.

"WHAT IS THIS? SAIGA DESTROYED ALL OF THE TURRETS IN ONE MOVE! WHAT IS HE?!"

Mitsuji felt pain as he ran. His body was too stiff. It might've been a stupid move to destroy all the turrets at once since some people were passing him.

"FIRST PLACE! DAICHI HISAKAWA!"

 _Not yet…,_ Mitsuji thought as he heard people running behind him.

"SECOND PLACE! KUROI NIRIYAMA!"

 _I can't give up yet!_

"THIRD PLACE! PURORAKODO GEMU!"

 _Senpai believed in me! I will not fail!_ , he passed the gate.

He looked around and saw 9 people.

 _That must mean… I'm 10th?_ , he asked.

He panted.

They were given time to rest after the first event and everyone in Class 1-A were in 1-A's waiting room. Mitsuji returned from the restroom and entered the waiting room. He felt the intense pressure from his classmate's stares at him. His body was still a bit stiff but he felt his knees getting weak from nervousness.

"Saiga! What was that at the last obstacle? You were that powerful after all?", Jacob asked.

"I was right about you. You can actually do great things", Kai said.

"T-Thanks", Mitsuji replied. He wasn't used to being praised.

Daichi then stood up abruptly and everyone looked at him.

"Mitsuji Saiga. You didn't do much at the first combat training. You were nervous and didn't look much of a threat. But… know this, I will not lose to you", the quiet Daichi spoke up.

Kuroi looked at the two quietly while Mitsuji felt nervous. The strongest one and the first placer issued a declaration of war against him. Daichi was about to leave but…

"Yeah. I'm a nervous wreck. I don't look much of a threat. And if sometimes, I faint because of girls", Mitsuji replied.

Mitsuji remembered her words. She clearly said that he would be a strong and wonderful hero. He thought of his senpai, Momo Yaoyorozu.

"But I will do my best! I will not hold back! Because someone is believing in me!", he declared.

Daichi's eyes widened for a split second. Kuroi chuckled. The competition was on.


	22. Chapter 17: Capture the Flag

Nagusawa announced the top 32 people. Those students were the ones who would proceed to the next round. Mitsuji breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he was among the people who passed. Sadly, not everyone in Class 1-A made the cut. Tang Izumi, Watabe Kiyonaga, Erude Rikaga, and Arakawa Juene were disheartened to be eliminated.

"This little defeat won't hinder my shining self", Watabe said.

"I was so close to being 32nd. If only I didn't trip…", Arakawa told himself.

Tang was silently standing in a corner while Erude was floating three marbles over his hand. It was clear that they were disappointed in themselves. Kokoro wanted to comfort them but she didn't know what to say. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Give them time. I know you want to help but let us give them time to think and reflect", Nagai told her.

It hurt her heart but she had no choice. He was right. She turned away and decided to focus on the next round.

A few minutes passed and they were sent out to the stadium again. However, the field looked different. Cement pillars of different heights were everywhere and were randomly connected to one another.

"Let me explain the second round. It's called Capture the Flag. You will form a team consisting of four people and then you'll plant a flag somewhere in the stadium. The winning condition is to capture a flag from an opponent team while protecting yours. If you have your flag and the enemy team's, you instantly win", Nagusawa explained.

Mitsuji thought. From what he heard, only hero course students remained in the competition. 16 from Class 1-A and 16 from Class 1-B. It would be tough fighting people from the other class since their Quirks were unknown but it would also be tough fighting people from the same class since they might have strategies against his Quirk.

"Hey Saiga, you have teammates?", Kai asked.

"No…", he replied curtly.

"Then let's be teammates!", Kai said.

"Sure"

"Oh. Mind if I join you guys?", Jacob asked.

"Really?", Mitsuji asked.

"Having Saiga's Quirk around makes things easier", he replied.

The trio needs another member. They looked around and everyone already made their teams. The Class 1-B students made teams among themselves. Kuroi, Narruk. Runa and Tsubaki were a team while Daichi, Nagai, Aome, and Suzumi formed another team. Kokoro, Shiroi, Purorakodo, and Drake were teammates. That only left…

"Hey guys. Do you need another member?", Nozomi asked.

"Yes we do! We'll be glad to have someone to take on the damage!", Jacob said.

"Oh… You're making me take all the damage with my frail body? How cruel", Nozomi asked with fake tears in her eyes.

"No! I mean… With your Quirk and all, you can take on damage more than we can so…"

"I'm just messin' with ya!", she said and laughed.

"Grab a flag and plant it somewhere on the field", Nagusawa instructed them suddenly as eight flags were placed in front of them.

"What should we do?", Kai asked.

"For starters, let's find a place to plant our flag", Jacob answered.

They walked around and found a good spot. The place they planted the flag had three large cement pillars surrounding it, making it hard for the enemy to get the flag.

"Okay. With our Quirks in mind, let's split into two groups", Jacob said.

"I'm fine with it", Kai agreed and the others nodded.

"The offense will be me and Hikari. Hikari has high mobility and I'm a decent fighter. The defense will be Saiga and Kido. Saiga is powerful so our flag will be safe. Kido has a strong defense so you guys have no problem repelling attackers", Jacob strategized.

"Ah. I have an idea". Mitsuji said.

He then made a dome made up of earth which covered the flag. After that, he made several more domes near them.

"I see… By making dummies, it'll be hard for them to find the flag", Nozomi said.

"Good thinking, Saiga!", Kai praised.

"EVERYBODY! STUDENTS! AUDIENCE! MASS MEDIA! ARE YOU READY?!", Present Mic asked.

The crowd cheered as Mitsuji steeled his nerves. He wasn't as nervous as he usually would be. His heart still raced but he was thinking clearly. He wasn't fighting just to defend himself. He was fighting for someone. That was why he got this far. And he would go even further.

"SECOND ROUND! CAPTURE THE FLAG… START!"

Kai and Jacob ran.

"Do you have any idea on how to find a team?", Kai asked.

"Nope", Jacob answered.

They stopped running when they saw two people running. One was a boy who had green hair in a bowl cut. His body was lean and he had red eyes. The other one was a girl with pink hair and brown eyes. A ball of fire and a miniature cloud floated above her shoulders. The duo stopped and looked at Kai and Jacob.

"But it looks they found us first", Jacob said and an ethereal spear appeared in his right hand.

They glared at each other for a while. Jacob then made the first move by charging. Kai shot off lasers from his hands and they dodged it. Jacob lunged at the boy with the bowl cut and thrust his spear. Then…

"What?! It's not moving?!", Jacob asked in surprise.

He felt something hit him in the face but he was certain that he saw nothing. The boy was just standing there menacingly with his hands on his pockets.

"Interesting. What's your Quirk?", Jacob asked.

"As if I would tell you", he answered.

"Fair enough. I guess I'll find it out myself"

Meanwhile, Kai kept shooting lasers from his hands while the girl dodged. The ball of fire floating on her shoulder moved towards him and when he dodged, it turned back and followed him as he ran. He then saw chunks of ice head towards him coming from the miniature cloud. Kai destroyed the chunks of ice using his laser beams.

Jacob tried to get near his enemy but he kept on receiving hits from nowhere.

 _It must be some sort of invisible Quirk. What could its weakness be? Does it have a range? Is it everywhere? If only I could get more clues_ , Jacob thought.

Kai destroyed more chunks of ice that were headed towards him while running from the ball of fire. He moved away from the girl and the ball of fire returned to the girl.

 _So it has a limited range huh_ , he thought.

Jacob ran back to Kai's side.

"This is troubling. They are both ranged fighters" Jacob said.

"That only means one thing", Kai muttered and Jacob nodded.

"Run!", both of them shouted as they ran.

It was a tactical retreat. Fighting against them would give them no merits at all. There was no flag and they would just waste energy fighting. The other two also saw it that way and moved in the other direction, hoping to find a flag.

Meanwhile…

"Hey Saiga… Are you really nervous around girls?", Nozomi asked and drew close to him.

"K-K-Kido… Not too close!", Mitsuji told her.

"Heh… Looks like you'll be fine to mess with", Nozomi said and grabbed his hands.

Mitsuji paled. Then he saw something.

"Kido! Let go!", Mitsuji said and when he got out of her grasp, he shot flames from his hand after 2 seconds.

The dragonfly dodged the flames and transformed into Daichi Hisakawa. Nozomi's touch absorbed the cement pillar and coated herself with cement armour.

"It seems we'll fighting earlier than we thought", Daichi said.

Mitsuji's heart raced as he took a fighting stance. Nozomi also looked nervous. It was understandable since they were facing the strongest one in the class.

"I won't hold back", Daichi said as he transformed into a human-sized mantis shrimp.


	23. Chapter 18: Hisakawa vs Saiga and Kido

Searing hot flames shot from Mitsuji's hands but because of his exoskeleton, Daichi didn't feel a thing. Nozomi charged at him and was about to throw a punch when Daichi countered her. Being a mantis shrimp, his punch was far faster and far stronger to the point that cracks formed in Nozomi's armour and that she was blown away.

"Kido!", Mitsuji shouted.

It was a bad situation. While Daichi was in that form, his defence and offense were top-notch. Mitsuji thought for a second. There was no such thing as a perfect Quirk. After all, Quirks are like muscles. It has drawbacks when overused.

 _But what could it be?_ Mitsuji pondered.

The huge mantis shrimp advanced towards Mitsuji's direction.

 _1…2…_

"Stay away!", he shouted as he released electricity everywhere.

Daichi was clearly damaged but it wasn't enough to halt his advance. Nozomi jumped in front of him and punched his face. She released a barrage of punches but Daichi blew her away with a single punch.

Mitsuji ran to where Nozomi landed. He saw that her concrete armour was peeling away.

"Are you okay?", he asked worriedly.

"Barely. He packs quite a punch", she replied as she reabsorbed the concrete in order to repair her armour.

Mitsuji looked at Daichi and saw that he had transformed to another insect. It was a black scorpion with large pincers and had a large stinger. Its exoskeleton looked really hard.

"Oh great. A scorpion", Nozomi groaned.

Daichi clicked his pincers as he crawled towards them. He wasn't very fast but Nozomi and Mitsuji couldn't abandon the place because they had to protect their flag.

 _1…2…_

Mitsuji shot fire from his hands but Daichi wasn't fazed. He just crawled on. Nozomi charged at him landing hooks to his body. But as usual, her punches were nothing against the strong exoskeleton.

"Kido! Move!", Mitsuji shouted and shot even hotter flames, straining his concentration.

Nozomi moved away from the scorpion and when it got hit, it backed off.

"It's working! Keep it up Saiga!", Nozomi cheered.

The sad fact was that Mitsuji couldn't keep it up. All Quirks have limits. If he overused his flames, he'd overheat and possibly burn himself. He couldn't risk that. Also, if he used any of his elements, it cost energy.

Mitsuji stopped firing and panted. He felt his hands heating up.

"Saiga!"

Daichi transformed into a dragonfly and flew close to Mitsuji. He shifted his form into a mantis shrimp and landed a quick punch. Mitsuji was blown away. Pain spread across him and he could barely move his body.

Meanwhile, Drake and Kokoro were guarding their flag.

"Let's make sure we guard this properly okay?", Kokoro asked.

"Yeah. Sure hope Purorakodo and Kiri will do their job well. And it'd be even better if no one goes after us", Drake replied.

"Sorry to disappoint you then", a voice said.

It belonged to a girl with short bright red hair with two small horns. Her eyes were also red and she was pretty tall. Beside her was a boy with orange hair and amber eyes. He had several types of earring while his skin was slightly tanned.

"Heya 1-A peeps! I'm Akabayashi Kemoch!", she introduced.

"While I am Sunajiki Rantaro", the boy also introduced himself.

"Hello. I am Kokoro Nanami"

"Why did you introduce yourself?', Drake asked.

"Why? It's polite to introduce yourself", she answered.

"Fine. I'm Drake Smith", Drake introduced himself.

"Now that's out of the way. Sorry. We're taking your flag", Akabayashi said.

Drake looked down and saw that sand was surrounding their feet.

"Kokoro! Jump!", Drake shouted and jumped high.

"Eh?"

It was too late. The sand around Kokoro's feet had already solidified.

"Ehhh? I can't move my feet!", Kokoro shouted.

 _Tch. This is bad! They're focusing on me. I can't teleport!_ , Drake thought.

That was the drawback of his Quirk, Fourth Wall Break. No one has to look at him in order for him to teleport. Normally, he used stun grenades and smokescreens but the UA Sports Festival does not allow any equipment for the students except for the Support Course.

Drake then felt strength coursing through his body. His senses sharpened and time seemed to slow down. He turned around and saw Kokoro singing. He charged at Sunajiki and landed a direct punch to his face.

Sand covered his legs but before it could harden, Drake kicked Sunakiji's stomach. The enhanced strength of his legs caused the sand boy to lose his concentration. However, that wasn't enough.

"This one's from my favourite videogame and anime. Better use it since I got this strength", Drake said and smiled.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!", he shouted as he unleashed a barrage of attacks at Sunakiji.

The sand boy passed out from the attacks.

"YOSHAA! Did it! See that Nanami?!", he paled when he saw what was going on.

"What's wrong?", Kokoro asked.

Drake pointed at the place where something important was supposed to be planted. When Kokoro saw it, she paled.

"Our flag!", Kokoro shouted.

Drake saw that the red-haired girl was running away.

"Nanami! Close your eyes for a while", Drake instructed.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw that Drake was already behind Akabayashi.

"Hoh. Teleportation huh? Pretty handy", Akabayashi said.

Drake grabbed the flag but Akabayashi's grip was strong.

"Hey. Wouldn't you mind letting go?", he asked.

"Sorry. We need to win this", she replied.

"I see. Such a shame"

Drake attempted to kick but she blocked it.

"You won't stop chasing me until I give up the flag, right?", she asked.

"What about it?"

"Then I accept your challenge. Better make it fun!" she growled.

Red mist enveloped her and her red eyes glowed. Her smile resembled a berserker's and she growled. Drake felt something he hadn't felt for a long time, intimidation.

"This is bad", Drake muttered.


	24. Chapter 19: Frenzy Spirit!

Drake didn't react in time. Before he knew it, Akabayashi was already behind him.

"Cra-", he was cut off by a punch to the stomach.

Drake was blown away by the strong punch. He still couldn't teleport since he felt that she was still watching him. Akabayashi swiftly charged at him and he barely avoided her barrage of punches. He grabbed her hand, used the momentum against her, and pinned her to the ground.

But that was useless. She managed to get out by pure strength. Akabayashi punched him but he blocked. Pain surged through his arms.

 _This chick's got dangerous strength,_ he thought.

Before he could have time to recover from the attack, she landed a kick to his stomach. She jabbed but this time, Drake felt that time slowed down. Strength coursed through his body and he no longer felt pain. He dodged her attack and countered with a right hook. His attack worked.

He looked around and saw Kokoro singing with her eyes closed.

 _Nice one, Nanami!_ , Drake thought.

Now that his speed and strength were boosted, he had a chance. Akabayashi got up.

Akabayashi Kemochi. Quirk: Frenzy Spirit! She gets into an enraged state in which her physical abilities are enhanced. The downside is that her intellect goes down and she attacks her targets relentlessly.

No one was directly looking at him so he smiled. He teleported to the sky and…

"Skydive kick!", he shouted and landed a kick on her.

However…

"What?!"

His leg was caught by Akabayashi's hand. She slammed him to the ground. He was protected by Kokoro's Quirk so some of the damage was negated but he still felt intense pain. The ground where he was slammed into formed cracks. He should've passed out already.

"Smith!", Kokoro screamed.

When she heard the loud slam, she couldn't help but open her eyes. The sight of her classmate injured made tears run down her eyes but she still sang. She believed in him. He needed her help more than ever. She closed her eyes and sang even louder.

Akabayashi looked at Kokoro. Drake was alarmed. He couldn't bear the thought of having his teammate feel the pain of the redhead's punches. Since no one was looking at him, he teleported out of her grip and appeared in front of her.

"Take this!", he shouted and punched her.

Akabayashi was blown back a bit. Drake felt that Kokoro's support was getting weaker. Kokoro was already getting tired and her throat was reaching its limit. Drake knew that and so, he had to finish this quickly.

The redhead charged at him.

"Come at me!", Drake shouted.

Kuroi Niriyama was fighting two students at once. His tentacles danced in the air as they attacked and defended him.

A girl with long black silky hair and red eyes was fighting him. She was standing upside down 10 meters above ground. The other one fighting was a boy with spiky brown hair and blue eyes. His body was muscular. Purple vines extended from his left arm and emitted orange electricity.

The girl was Kaiya Juryoku. Her Quirk was named More Than The Surface. It allowed her to change her own plane of gravity which made her very mobile. The boy was Jokaku Josu with a Quirk named Rippling Vines. He can shoot vines out of his arms and create burning electricity out of it.

But they were nothing against Kuroi. Jokaku's Quirk didn't have any effect on his tentacles and all they could do was restrain one of the four red tentacles. Kaiya couldn't even get near him despite changing her plane of gravity many times.

"Kufufufu. How easy", Kuroi said.

"Don't underestimate us!", Jokaku shouted and shot off vines from his arm.

The orange electricity didn't deal much damage.

"Time to finish you off", Kuroi said menacingly.

One of the red tentacles hit Jokaku with enough force that he was sent flying.

"Josu!", Kaiya shouted.

"Worry about yourself", Kuroi told her.

One of the tentacles wrapped around her leg and spun her around. She became dizzy and he slammed her to the ground.

"Good night. Kufufufu", Kuroi laughed.

He took the flag and casually walked back to where his teammates were.

Kai and Jacob were hiding. Good news: they finally found a flag. Bad news: strong opponents were guarding it. A boy with long red hair and violet eyes were standing in front of the flag. Beside him was a girl with indigo hair and blue eyes.

"What should we do?", Kai asked.

"I'm thinking", Jacob answered briefly.

The field around the flag was filled with bubbles. It looked like the same bubbles a child would usually play with. Except that when it pops, it explodes like a bomb. That was Shizuka Awa's Quirk, Dynamite Bubbles. Jacob and Kai had learnt that the hard way.

"Hey 1-A students! Are you going to keep on hiding like that?", Shizuka asked mockingly.

"Sorry mademoiselle but we need time to think", Kai replied sarcastically.

"Hey. Can you clear a path for me?", Jacob asked as a spectral staff appeared.

"Got it"

Kai got out of his hiding spot and shot lasers from each of his fingers. The lasers hit some bubbles which caused them to explode. A chain reaction of explosions occurred.

 _I may not know the Quirk of the red-haired guy but I need to take the initiative. Saiga and Kido must be doing their best defending the flag right now_ , Jacob thought.

Jacob ran and then he saw that there were even more bubbles in front of him. Thinking quickly, he made a giant shield and charged through. He was near the flag when the red-haired boy walked in front of him. He faced his palm towards Jacob.

"Move", the boy said.

He felt that there was invisible force pushing him away. Jacob flew all the way, passed Kai, and crashed into a pillar. More bubbles floated around and the boy shifted his attention on Kai.

He faced his hand at Kai and Kai felt an invisible force pulling him. Kai flew towards the boy but there were many bubbles blocking his way.

 _Oh crap!_ , he thought.

Explosions occurred and when Kai reached the boy's hands, he was badly injured.

Shinra Bansho. Quirk: Magnetic Pulse. He can push or pull anything he wants to. Despite the Quirk's name, this was not magnetically influenced and acted on any biological or non-biological body. However, if the thing he pulls or pushes is too heavy, he will be the one who gets pulled or pushed.

Kai felt the invisible force pushing him away and he crashed into a pillar like Jacob.

It was then they heard the first winner.

"Team Nanami, Kiri, Gemu, and Smith are eliminated! Team Rantaro, Kemochi, Midnight and Kai advances to the final round!", Present Mic announced.

"Sorry… Sorry… If only I could fight like you… If only I didn't have this fear of hurting someone…", Kokoro sobbed as she looked at Drake who was down on the floor.

He had a black eye. Bruises were all over his body and he had a few broken bones. She wanted to heal him but she couldn't. The limitation of her Quirk was that her target must hear her sing. If they don't, they wouldn't be affected. And Drake was passed out.

Meanwhile, Nozomi was fighting a giant scorpion which was a transformed Daichi. Mitsuji was out of commission after receiving a hit from the mantis shrimp form of Daichi. Nozomi was all alone protecting their flag. Luckily, Mitsuji created earth domes with one of those hiding the flag inside.

It was still a tough fight since Nozomi had to avoid both the pincers and the stinger. And it didn't help that the scorpion looked freaky especially that it was human-sized.

She landed a blow on the scorpion but it didn't do anything. The tough exoskeleton proved too much for her. If Mitsuji was able to move and burn the scorpion, they would have an easy time.

"You're quite sad… being alone and all. Where's your teammates?", she asked.

Daichi didn't answer.

"Okay then", Nozomi said.

"The redhead has a magnetic-like Quirk while the girl uses bubble bombs", Jacob analysed calmly.

"Yeah. We experienced that first hand. The real problem is the redhead. We can handle a few explosions but the redhead can just push us away whenever we get near the flag", Kai said.

"I have an idea"

"What is it?"

"It'll make me really tired and we only got one shot at this. It's a gamble but we gotta take it" Jacob replied.

And with that he explained his plan.

"You can do that?!", Kai asked, visibly shocked.

"Yeah. But you have to do your part first", Jacob replied.

"Alright… I'm in" Kai said with determination.

It was time to put their plan into action.


	25. Chapter 20: Saiga vs Hisakawa?

_**Capture the flag continues intensely…**_

A boy with medium-length silver hair with white streaks stood in the hallway along with four other people. He had light silver eyes and had a white star under his right eye. His skin was void black with little white spots which made him look like the night sky.

"We advanced without me doing anything", he said in a strained tone.

"Now now Midnight, we can show off in the next round. The MVP this time is Kemochi. I heard you took down a guy and ran off with their flag", a boy said playfully.

He had orange hair with white and black stripes. His eyes resembled that of feline. The boy was muscular and was grinning, showing his fangs.

"Well… Rantaro was there too and he fought well", Akabayashi Kemochi, user of Frenzy Spirit replied.

Rantaro Sunakiji the Sandman, was silent. Even though it couldn't be helped, he had still lost.

"Team Niriyama, Mondronen, Tenshi, and Kamiya advances to the next round!", Present Mic announced.

"Looks like another one passed", Akabayashi muttered.

Aome was fighting two people at once. The one in front of her was a girl who had brown hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a black tank top while wielding the top of her UA uniform as a makeshift rod.

The girl was Aiko Minako with a Quirk called Solidify. She can solidify and harden any non-living thing she touches. She solidified her PE uniform after she formed it into a rod and now it was a solid weapon.

The other person Aome was fighting was another girl with blue hair and amber eyes. Each of her hands had a hole which shot bullets of different kind. Sometimes it was an explosive bullet, sometimes it was a sticky bullet, and other times it was a laser. Her name was Setsuna Kobayashi and her Quirk was Gun Hand.

 _A long-ranged and a close-ranged fighter… This would be tough but the flag is so near_ , Aome thought.

She avoided more explosive bullets and countered Aiko's attack.

"You must be confident since you came alone", Aiko said.

"But it's a stupid move to think that you can face the two of us alone", Setsuna added.

 _I know. I already told Daichi that_ , Aome thought.

"Eight seconds…", she said.

"Huh?"

"Eight seconds and I'll defeat the two of you", Aome declared as she went on all fours.

She remembered what happened before the match started.

"What? We'll go separate ways?!", Aome asked in shock.

"Yes. I'll go alone and find a flag. Okami. You use your nose to find another flag. Tokuhei and Midoriya will stay here and defend", Daichi instructed calmly.

"But wouldn't it be better to find the flags together?", Nagai asked.

"No need. She'll only get in my way", Daichi said curtly and walked away.

Aome looked down at the ground.

"Ummm. Don't feel bad, Aome. He didn't mean that", Suzumi comforted her.

"She's right. We do not have a choice but to follow his plans and hope that we can get the flag", Nagai added.

"Yeah", Aome said and ran off.

Nozomi panted as she avoided Daichi's attacks. In his Mantis Shrimp form, his punches were deadly. She was straining to keep her Quirk and she doubted that she could repair her armour if she got damaged again. Nozomi already got hit five times and she already repaired her armour five times. She was reaching her limit.

 _When will Hisakawa run out of juice? He's been fighting for so long. Shouldn't he be tired?_ , Nozomi wondered.

Daichi jabbed while Nozomi dodged. He jabbed again and again but Nozomi backed away as she avoided the deadly punches. However, her back soon reached a cement pillar.

 _Not goo-_ , her thought was cut off when she received a punch from the mantis shrimp to the solar plexus.

Cracks appeared on her stomach's armour and it peeled off. Nozomi blocked the second attack but she still felt pain. The armour on her arms was destroyed. She would be defeated if she would receive a third punch.

"Move away!", Mitsuji shouted as he leapt towards the two of them frantically.

His fist was crackling with electricity and it punched the eye of the mantis shrimp. Nozomi could feel the electricity in the air. Daichi tried to punch Mitsuji with his left arm but Mitsuji narrowly avoided it by twisting his body slightly while airborne. Daichi then transformed into a dragonfly and flew backwards. He then returned to his human form and panted.

"I thought you were down for the count", Daichi said while holding his bleeding eye.

In actuality, Mitsuji could no longer move. The pain he received from the punch made him wish he was unconscious. However, he saw his teammate fight so hard. He wouldn't be able to face the person who believed in him if he abandoned his teammate.

 _1…2…_

Flames wrapped around Mitsuji. They were hotter than the flames he usually used. The difference was caused by his determination. He was determined to protect the flag. Mitsuji wouldn't let anyone defeat them, even if it was the strongest in the class.

"Come!", Mitsuji shouted stoically.

Daichi smirked and transformed into a giant centipede. They glared at each other but…

"Team Hisakawa, Okami, Tokuhei, and Midoriya advances to the next round!", Present Mic announced.

"Eh?", Mitsuji slipped out, bewildered.

Daichi transformed into his human form. He started walking away.

"Wait! What's going on? What happened to our showdown?", Mitsuji asked.

Daichi pointed at him.

"I'll meet you in the finals. If you reach it", Daichi said calmly.

The flames wrapping around Mitsuji disappeared as he fell down to his knees. Nozomi's armour disappeared and she closed her eyes. She felt that she could fall asleep any time soon.

Kai walked in front of the red head and the girl with indigo hair casually.

"What are you up to?", the girl, Shizuka, asked.

Bubbles were surrounding the field around the flag. Those bubbles were not ordinary bubbles but instead, they were explosives.

"Come here", the red-haired boy, Shinra, commanded.

An invisible force pulled Kai towards Shinra. Like before, the bubbles were in the way and when they popped, they exploded. Shinra grabbed the unconscious Kai's neck. Or it seemed that he was unconscious. Shinra noticed what seemed to be a heavy-grade military vest attached to the boy. He wasn't unconscious.

"W-what? I thought he could only make weapons!?" the boy shouted.

"Point-blank laser!", Kai shouted.

"Not good!"

Kai aimed his laser at the arm which was holding him and Shinra released him. He was pushed away in the opposite direction, towards the flag.

"Bansho! That's their plan!", Shizuka shouted.

As Kai was being blown away, he managed to grab the flag.

"You're not getting away!"', Shinra shouted as he faced his hand towards Kai.

"You'd better look above", Kai smirked and pointed upwards.

Shizuka and Shinra looked up and saw Jacob who was high up in the sky. Jacob used his Quirk to make him a staff which pushed him way up in the sky. His Quirk, Summoning, was not limited to creating spectral weapons. He only created weapons because they were practical but he could create other inanimate things.

He concentrated real hard and gritted his teeth.

"BIG BEN!", he shouted and a 96-metre clock spectral clock tower appeared.

"WHAAAT?!", Present Mic shouted.

The audience, mass media, pro heroes, and even other players were surprised to see the power of Jacob's Quirk.

"Tch! Divine Push!", Shinra shouted.

He tried to push the tower away using his Quirk but it was too heavy to be pushed. The ground beneath him cracked and he strained his arms but it was impossible. The clock tower crushed him and Shizuka.

It disappeared immediately and Jacob was on the ground.

"Kai! Go!", he shouted.

Kai glided using his Quirk and soon arrived at where Mitsuji and Nozomi were.

"Team Saiga, Wilson, Hikari, and Kido advances to the next round! That's all of the players who'll advance!", Present Mic announced.

"We… won…", Kai said as he felt the heat in his hands and feet.

"Yeah", Mitsuji panted.

"We'll take a lunch break before we head to the final round and after that are the recreational games!", Present Mic announced.

 _This is it.. The final round… I can do this!_ , Mitsuji thought.


	26. Chapter 21: The Final Round Begins

Lunch time ended and it was time for the recreational games. The students who didn't make it to the finals participated in different games such as ball-throwing, scavenger hunt, tug-of-war, and many other games. Those who made it to the finals had the option to join or to prepare themselves.

Mitsuji was the latter. He sat in the waiting room and tried to calm his nerves. He had no problem with the obstacle race since there were other students who were showing off their capabilities. The same goes for the capture the flag since it was a team effort. But in the third round, it was always a one-on-one no-holds-barred fight. All of the attention would be focused on him and his enemy.

 _Calm down. It doesn't matter how many people are watching. I just have to fight properly. She believes in me after all_ , he thought.

He looked at the ceiling and thought about the upperclassman who gave him courage.

 _Right now, she's doing her best. What reason do I have to not do my best too?_

Mitsuji walked out of the waiting room and saw a young woman with grey hair and silver eyes. Her hero costume consisted of the contrasting white and black as she had a white chest plate, white gauntlets, and white boots, while having a black body suit. A white metal wing sprouted from her right and a black metal wing on her left.

"Hey Mitsuji. You're doing great", she said with confidence.

"Big sis…"

Her name was Mikasa Saiga, the Cosmic Hero: Darkbright. She was the older sister of Mitsuji and was a powerful hero.

"You actually qualified for the finals. That's great", Mikasa praised.

"Y-Yeah", Mitsuji replied.

"I never expected you to actually gain the nerves to get this far. What happened?" she enquired.

"N-Nothing much"

"Don't worry. You'll do fine. I remember my first UA Sports Festival. I easily bagged the 1st place"

Mitsuji looked at the ground. He remembered it clearly when he was watching her on TV. She overpowered her opponents with her Quirk and became the champion for three consecutive years. She would've easily been a top 5 hero by now but she didn't take much credit for her work. That was why she was rank 11. However, people knew that she was a true hero.

That was why Mitsuji knew that he couldn't become like her. There was no way he could be in 1st place.

"Well. Good luck Mitsuji and do whatever you can. I'm not expecting you to get 1st place or anything so no pressure", his older sister said and tapped his shoulder as she walked away.

"Big sis!", Mitsuji called out.

Mikasa turned around and was surprised by what she saw. For the first time in her life, she saw a determined look in her brother's eyes.

"I'll be number one", he declared and strode out.

Mitsuji left the dumbfounded Mikasa in the hallway.

"ALRIGHT LISTENERS! THE RECREATIONAL GAMES ARE OVER AND IT'S TIME FOR THE FINALS! ARE YOU READY?!", Present Mic asked.

The crowd cheered.

"LET'S WELCOME THE STUDENTS WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE FINALS!"

Daichi Hisakawa, a white-haired boy with red eyes. Quirk: Arthropod. He can transform into any insect including mythical and prehistoric ones.

Aome Okami, a girl with short messy black hair and blue eyes, walked towards the field. Her wolf ears were perked up and her tail was wagging. Quirk: Lycant! She has the enhanced speed and strength of a wolf.

A girl with straight green hair and green eyes walked casually. Suzumi Midoriya, Quirk: Dragon Breath. She can breathe and control the fire she blew out.

Her wings flapped as she landed. Her light purple hair was swaying in the wind and her purplish-blue eyes looked at the crowd. Runa Tenshi, Quirk: Angel Wings. Just as what the name said, she has a 10 feet wingspan for her feathery wings.

A boy with clean-kept shoulder-length dark dirty blonde hair and orange eyes walked while sniffing the air. Narruk Mondronen, Quirk: Lycanthrope! He can transform into an 8 feet werewolf with enhanced speed, strength, and senses.

Kai entered the field while combing his neon blue hair. His neon green eyes looked around the crowd. Kai Hikari, Quirk: Lightshow! He can shoot beams of light out of any part in his body.

A girl with long purple hair and blue eyes waved to the ground as if she was a superstar. Nozomi Kido! Quirk: Matter Absorption. She can absorb solid materials and coat herself with it, making it as armour.

Kuroi looked casually at the crowd with his red eyes. His black hair was wild and he scratched it. Kuroi Niriyama, Quirk: Mutant Cells. His body is made up of special cells and he can form hard and flexible tentacles from his body.

The one who surprised everyone by summoning a huge tower out of nowhere walked into the field. His name was Jacob Wilson. He had neck-length dirty blonde hair and blue green eyes. His Quirk was Summoning! He can summon spectral objects.

A petite girl walked gracefully. She smiled at the crowd. The crowd took note of her silky straight brown hair and pretty brown eyes. Tsubaki Kamiya, Quirk: Time Trap. She can change her own perception of time as long as she can hold her breath.

A tanned boy with orange hair and amber eyes walked towards the group of students who were gathered at the field. Sunajiki Rantaro, Quirk: Sandstorm. He can produce sand from his hands and control it.

The girl who beat up Drake excitedly ran to the field. She had short bright red hair, red eyes, and had two small horns coming out from her head. Akabayashi Kemochi, Quirk: Frenzy Spirit. She becomes drastically stronger and faster at the cost of her rationality.

A boy with orange hair with black stripes and eyes that were like a feline's walked calmly. Tora Kai, Quirk: Tiger Body! He transforms into a tiger-human creature with enhanced strength and speed.

A void black boy with white star-like dots in his body walked towards the arena. He had medium-length silver hair with white streaks and light silver eyes. Chris Midnight, Quirk: Shadows, he can control shadows and make weapons or whatever stuff out of them.

Two more contestants were still to be called out. As Nagai Tokuhei walked towards the arena in high spirits, he saw a tall figure with black hair in a suit waiting for him. His high spirits momentarily vanished. He was suddenly on high alert.

"Nagai. A pleasure to see you! I was in town for business, so I figured I'd catch your match. I can always reschedule my meetings after all." the man said in a smooth silky tone.

"Father…" Nagai almost lost his composure but collected himself replying with "it's good to see you. I hope I do you proud."

"Now now son…no need for the formalities! I hear you are your class representative? Good. I expected no less from my brilliant prodigy of a son. Say…I do have a favour I need from you."

"Oh? What is that Father?" Nagai enquired warily.

"Why to do your best! Just…don't do _too_ well, if you catch my drift" the older man said putting his hand on Nagai's shoulder. Nagai gritted his teeth but said nothing.

"You know how it goes. In a game of poker, you can't show your hand so easily. Information is a powerful tool. Use it to your advantage. Don't go all out here. Well, that's what I'd do if I were you anyway".

"I'll…keep that in mind Father" Nagai replied politely.

The man stared eerily for a second. Then he returned to his senses, "Well that's all I can ask of you anyway! Have a good tournament" he chuckled warmly. Suddenly his phone rang. Nagai caught the caller ID; Dr Emilia Van Ghoul. His eyes froze in abject horror when they met his father's. His father knew he had seen the caller ID.

"Sorry. I've got to take this. Important meeting soon." He gripped his son's shoulder with some pressure. "Go gettem boy". And then he strode off.

Nagai waited till he was gone. He noticed his knees were shaking. He composed himself for a minute, and then walked out towards the arena.

Nagai Tokuhei walked in a refined fashion towards the arena. He had blond hair, a tall and lean muscular body, and azure blue eyes. His Quirk was Air Swim which allows him to move around in the air as if he was swimming. He can also splash air like it was water.

And the last one to come out was a boy with medium shaggy black hair and brown eyes. Mitsuji Saiga, Quirk: Primal Split. He can use fire, electricity, and earth for 30 seconds. However, he can only use one element at a time and takes 2 seconds to switch elements.

 _This is it. More than a thousand people screaming. My heart is pounding_ , Mitsuji thought.

 **And so, the final round began…**


	27. Chapter 22: Singed Fur

"Now then... I'll announce the results of the ballot earlier", Nagusawa said.

The students drew lots that would decide their bracket. Mitsuji was nervous since he knew that everyone who qualified was all strong in their own ways. However, he made a declaration to his older sister. He wouldn't lose.

The huge screen of the stadium showed those who would be fighting.

Narruk Mondronen vs. Suzumi Midoriya

Aome Okami vs. Tora Kai

Kai Hikari vs. Daichi Hisakawa

Sunajiki Rantaro vs. Jacob Wilson

Runa Tenshi vs. Nagai Tokuhei

Tsubaki Kamiya vs. Chris Midnight

Nozomi Kido vs. Akabayashi Kemochi

Mitsuji Saiga vs. Kuroi Niriyama

Mitsuji then felt intense and suffocating pressure from someone. He turned and saw Kuroi staring at him with a creepy smile.

"Kufufufu. Let's have fun, Saiga", he said in a quiet tone and yet Mitsuji still heard it.

Kai felt a chill run down his spine and looked at the quiet Daichi. He was up against the strongest in the class. He heard from Nozomi and Mitsuji that they had a hard time fighting against him.

Meanwhile, Jacob was mumbling to himself, a trait he got from the upperclassman who trained him. He was thinking of his enemy's unknown Quirk. If he knew who fought against Sunajiki, he would interview them and get as much information as he could. Not because he wanted to gain an advantage but instead, he was simply curious.

"NOW! LET'S START THE FIRST ROUND!", Present Mic shouted.

Every class was on the bleachers and the crowd was going wild.

"Narruk Mondronen vs. Suzumi Midoriya", Nagusawa said.

Narruk stood across two meters away from Suzumi. He wasn't wearing anything on his upper half which showed off his muscular build.

"Would you mind covering yourself up?", Suzumi asked politely.

"Sorry. My Quirk would just destroy it anyway", Narruk replied dryly.

Jacob, Kai, and Mitsuji sat beside each other in Class 1-A's area.

"Who do you think would win?", Kai asked pensively. He was a bit worried for Midoriya's sake.

"Suzumi is a long-ranged fighter while Narruk is close-ranged. Without cover, Narruk would have a hard time. But… his speed is not to be trifled with and once he gets close, he'll easily overpower her", Jacob explained.

"Let's just watch and see", Mitsuji said.

"With his wolfish power he qualified for this round! From the hero course, Mondronen!", Present Mic announced.

The crowd cheered as Narruk stretched his arms.

"Her flames are searing hot so you'd better watch out! From the hero course, Midoriya!", Present Mic shouted.

Suzumi took deep breaths.

"If you want to give up beforehand, do it now. I don't hold back even against girls", Narruk warned.

"Don't worry. I also don't hold back against puppies", she replied blankly.

That statement irked Narruk. He decided to get an undeniable and overwhelming victory against her just as his upperclassman expected of him.

"START!"

Narruk transformed into his wolf form and ran on all fours towards Suzumi. However, she breathed out fire and the fire took the shape of a dragon. The fire dragon flew towards Narruk but he avoided it by dodging to the side. It then turned back and chased after Narruk.

"Tch. How annoying!", Narruk said as he ran.

He decided to run all the way to Suzumi. If he could break her concentration, the dragon would disappear. Suzumi already predicted that he would think that way so she breathed more flames. It formed into a bird and flew straight at him. With a flaming bird coming at him from the front and a flaming dragon coming at him from behind, he had no choice but to escape to the side or above. Above would be too risky and rely on a decent air time. He chose the other side to the one from previously.

 _I can't get close_ , Narruk thought.

Suzumi breathed more fire which formed into another bird. She became caked in sweat as she tried hard to concentrate. Her Quirk allowed her to breathe fire and control it but it required a great deal of concentration. For one, she couldn't move while controlling fire. Also, as the number and size of the flames increased, the more she had to concentrate.

"Is this all you can do?", Narruk taunted but he received no reply.

That was when he noticed. She couldn't reply because she had to concentrate her all on controlling. That meant that it was a battle of endurance. It was either his stamina would fail him and he would get burned or she would lose her concentration from being tired.

The flames chased after Narruk as he continued running around the arena. His speed was faster than the flaming entities so he had nothing to worry about. He then remembered his upperclassman's words.

"If you're going to fight, get an undeniable and overwhelming victory! You're my underclassman so you'd better not bring shame on me. Got that?!", Katsuki asked with loud confidence.

"Yes sir!", Narruk answered wholeheartedly.

"Beat them senseless. Make them use their full power and crush them! Don't take advantage of their weaknesses! Let them use all of their tricks and then show them that it's futile! That way, they wouldn't dare cross your path again!", Katsuki lectured.

"Should we really be doing that?", Narruk asked.

"Of course you dog! If you don't, villains would try again and again thinking they have a chance against you. It's better to show them that it's impossible to defeat you and make them give up on crime!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"Good! Now let's spar. I won't hold back even if you cry blood!"

Narruk felt that Katsuki wasn't joking.

Narruk smiled showing his fangs. He charged at Suzumi.

"Oh! Narruk changed tactics from running around to charging directly!", Present Mic commentated.

 _Bakugo-senpai wouldn't approve if I won by running around_ , he thought.

The flames that were chasing him disappeared and Suzumi breathed huge amounts of flames. She created a wall of hot flames but Narruk went through it with some of his fur burning. He growled and gritted his teeth but continued his assault. He landed a punch on her stomach and she went flying.

But that wasn't the end of it. Narruk continued his barrage of attacks on the green-haired girl. He kicked and punched mercilessly, not giving her chance to breath out flames. Suzumi caught his fist but she got kneed in the stomach.

"This is… quite a troubling sight as Mondronen mercilessly beats up Midoriya", Present Mic said. The crowd grew silent with the odd murmur here or there.

Narruk threw Suzumi to the edge of the arena.

"You can go out of bounds now. Or do you prefer me doing it for you?", Narruk asked with bloodthirsty conviction.

Suzumi panted weakly, looking up at him.

Quirkless. She knew that he was one of the few Quirkless people and that was what bothered her for years. She heard from her mother that he would get bullied and made fun of and she hated that.

But that all changed last year when she watched the UA Sports Festival where she saw Izuku face off against Shoto Todoroki. His overwhelming power that could destroy huge chunks of ice in a flick of a finger made her shudder.

And that lead her to two questions: how did he get a quirk like that and why wasn't it a fire-based Quirk like what the Midoriya family has? She answered her second question by thinking that it was some sort of mutation but her first question remained unanswered. She heard Aunt Inko claim that he was Quirkless for sure. That was why she decided to go to UA instead of Shiketsu High, she wanted to find out.

But she also envied her cousin. She only had a fire-controlling Quirk which relied on her breathing while Izuku had a super-powered Quirk. Her Quirk was not that flashy and not that effective while Izuku could punch anyone with power. He was like his idol, All Might.

But that doesn't mean she should give up!

She took a deep breath and let out a huge amount of searing hot flames. These flames were of the same hotness as the ones that melted Shoto's ice during their training. She could only control this for a while and she had to focus really hard.

"I see. That's your answer", Narruk said proudly as he went on all fours.

The flames rained down on him but he avoided all of them. A wall of flame appeared in front of him and shielded Suzumi. However…

"Bakugo-senpai's explosions hurt more!", he shouted as he burst through the wall.

He felt his fur catching flame and his skin burning but he charged on. He landed a punch on Suzumi which pushed her out of bounds. The flames disappeared.

"Midoriya is out of bounds! Mondronen wins!", Nagusawa announced.

The crowd cheered and Narruk transformed back into his human form. He had burns around his body. Suzumi was picked up by the infirmary robots and Narruk looked at her.

"Get your injuries checked by Recovery Girl too. And rest up before your next match", Nagusawa told him.

Narruk nodded affirmatively and walked away.

"And that's the first match! We'll move on to the next match!", Present Mic shouted.

Aome's tail stopped wagging. It was finally her turn. The infirmary robots passed by her.

"Win for me", Suzumi said.

"Don't worry. I will avenge you", Aome replied.

The second match was about to begin.


	28. Chapter 23: Canine or Feline?

"With the strength of a wolf, she confidently walks to the arena! From the hero course, Okami! Having the spirit of a wild tiger, he walks casually into the arena! From the hero course, Kai!", Present Mic announced and the crowd went wild.

Aome was facing a boy with orange hair that had black stripes like a tiger's. His feline eyes stared right through her as if he was analysing her. She looked at him calmy.

Tora, on the other hand, was on guard. Judging from her wolf ears and tail, she had a wolf-type Quirk. He was excited.

"Hey. You're a wolf, right?", he asked.

"Yep. And you must be a tiger", Aome replied.

"This is fun. Time to settle an age-old argument then"

She had no idea what he was talking about. Tora noticed her confusion and grinned.

"You know. Which one is better? Cats or dogs?", he asked her sarcastically.

"Well… I'm not that interes-"

"I believe that cats are better!"

Aome shook her head. She had to take this fight seriously since many pro heroes and scouts were watching. His question and belief shouldn't bother her.

"START!"

Tora's arms and legs turned into a tiger's arms and legs. Aome thought that he must have enhanced strength and speed from his transformation like her Quirk.

Tora charged on all fours and swiped his claws down. She ducked the attack and countered with an uppercut. However, he didn't feel much pain and swiped upwards. Aome barely avoided the attack with a jump and backed off to put some distance between them.

"He's tough", Aome muttered.

He charged again and Aome jumped over him at the last minute. She landed on his back and slammed his head on the ground. Aome then jumped away and put some distance between them.

"That didn't hurt at all", Tora said as he cracked his neck casually.

"That's to be expected from a weak wolf. Always travelling in packs in order to make up for their weakness", he taunted.

Aome tried to not mind what he said.

"How does it feel to have such a weak Quirk? If only you had the superior Quirk of a cat, then you would have a chance against me", he added mockingly.

Aome was getting irritated.

"After you, I'll beat up the wolf guy from earlier. Having two doggies lose against a strong tiger would mean that cats are stronger. Man, it sure sucks to have weak Quirks", he taunted even more, pouting with a sad face.

Aome was angry. She wouldn't mind if she was insulted. But if her classmate would be insulted, that was the final straw. Not that she cared about Narruk who beat up her friend or anything.

"It's on!", Aome shouted and charged.

Tora grinned. Everything was going according to plan. He wanted Aome to get angry so that she wouldn't think clearly. He would exploit that and win.

What he didn't expect was that Aome's speed increased and so he wasn't ready for her to attack him. Her blows were stronger than before and her attacks were faster. She used a flurry of straights, hooks and uppercuts to keep his guard on his upper body.

 _What is this?_ , he thought curiously.

Aome kicked his chin upwards. However, he grabbed her leg and slammed her to the ground. He then threw her away.

 _She's no ordinary girl. I guess I'll be a bit serious._

He growled and his body completely transformed into a weretiger. He had orange fur with black stripes all around him and a tail grew out. His teeth sharpened into fangs and he felt power surging through him.

"Kai transformed into a weretiger! How will Aome deal with this?", Present Mic asked.

Aome looked at him and then he was gone. She turned around and saw that he was standing right behind her.

"Hello there", he said and landed a punch to her solar plexus.

He had enhanced speed, enhanced strength, and enhanced senses. None would be able to match him in his tiger form. But in comes with a price. He could only maintain that form for 5 minutes and after that, he would be incredibly hungry.

Tora ran again and landed another blow. Every time she stood up, he would knock her down. The weretiger wanted her to surrender. He wouldn't want her to go out of bounds. Tora wanted complete victory. After all, that was the only way to prove that cats are better than dogs and that his Quirk was superior.

It was then he noticed something weird. He was supposedly moving faster than what the eyes could follow and yet… Aome was looking straight at him as he charged. He stopped on his tracks. Tora felt uneasy. His weretiger form was invincible. But for the first time, someone read his moves.

 _I'm just imagining things_ , he assured himself.

He charged again and landed another blow. Tora felt confident that it was just dumb luck that Aome read his moves at that time. But that all changed when his blow was blocked by her.

"What?! Okami blocked Kai's high-speed attack?!", Present Mic asked in a loud voice while the crowd cheered.

"Got you", she said and glared at him.

She landed a punch on Tora's face and blew him away. Tora wondered why her punch was stronger than before. He got up and charged again but Aome blocked it again.

"How?!", he asked.

Aome unleashed a barrage of attacks on Tora and blew him away. She panted and when Tora looked at her face, he noticed her eyes were cold like a predator's. He felt that he was a small little deer being hunted by a mighty wolf. However, he didn't let the fear get to him. His pride of being a tiger was at stake.

 _If she can read me at this speed, then I have to go faster!_ he thought.

He charged again and Aome barely blocked it. With more power and speed, he was slowly overpowering her. She then surprised him by grabbing his fist. She gave him a head-butt. His nose bled but he punched her face. But she didn't let go. He kept on punching frantically but Aome tightened her grip even more. He panicked.

"I won't lose to a wolf!", he shouted and pinned her down to the ground.

"Surrender! What could a wolf possibly have on a tiger?!" he asked.

Pain coursed through her body. She had received enough beatings already. But that was what kept her going. Her Quirk, Lycant, gives her wolf-like abilities and the perseverance of the wolf. And as she gets hurt, she becomes stronger and stronger.

That was why Aome pushed the surprised Tora off her and escaped. She then grabbed his arm and threw him as far away as her strength could.

"Kai Tora is out of bounds! Okami wins!", Nagusawa announced.

The crowd went wild.

"What could a wolf possibly have on a tiger? A wolf doesn't waste it's time going for the kill", Aome said coldly and proudly.


	29. Chapter 24: Illuminated Insects

_**A few hours ago…**_

"Daichi is strong. His exoskeleton is tough and when he's in his mantis shrimp form, his punches are dangerous", Mitsuji told Kai anxiously.

"Don't worry. I'll beat him and be the champion. I'll be a great hero", he replied with calm confidence.

Kai walked out of the corridor and into the arena. He heard the cheers of the crowd as he walked.

He saw Daichi standing in the arena and Kai stood across from him.

"Now! The student who bagged the 1st place in the obstacle course with his formidable Quirk, from the hero course: Daichi Hisakawa! A person who brings light to those in the dark, from the hero course: Kai Hikari!", Present Mic announced.

The two students were silent as they looked at each other. Tension was in the air. Kai already knew that Daichi was strong. He could turn into a dragonfly and be fast in the air or be a crab with a tough exoskeleton. Kai knew he was a formidable foe.

"START!"

Kai immediately shot lasers from both of his hands but Daichi turned into a crab. His lasers didn't even leave a scratch. Kai continued shooting his laser as a stall tactic until he felt his hand heating up. Daichi then transformed into a dragonfly and flew towards Kai.

 _No time to cool down!_ , Kai panicked.

He shot lasers from his hands again and tried to hit the dragonfly but it avoided the attack. However, it couldn't get close to Kai so it flew back. Kai continued shooting even though the dragonfly dodged his attacks. He then stopped when his hands heated up again.

Daichi watched him from a distance. He already knew Kai's weakness. All he had to do was overheat Kai's hands and he would be able to get close. The question was how much was needed to overheat his hands.

Daichi flew towards Kai and Kai started shooting lasers again. However, the lasers didn't last long as Kai stopped shooting and clenched his fist. Daichi felt that it was his chance so he flew close.

"Gotcha!", Kai shouted and lasers shot out from his eyes.

The dragonfly barely avoided it and flew away. His wing was mere millimetres from being disintegrated, and it gave him a brief shock. However, he wasn't fazed for long.

 _I see. He can use other parts of his body other than his hands,_ Daichi analysed.

He decided to change his tactics. Daichi transformed into a human-sized scorpion. Kai gritted his teeth. All he could do was shoot lasers but it wouldn't do a thing to the scorpion. His hands still felt hot and he couldn't risk heating his eyes.

Kai shot laser from his hands but it didn't scratch the scorpion. He then thought of another technique. He raised his hand and a flicker of light expanded and expanded, until a ball of compressed plasma had been formed in the palm of his hand.

"Take this!"

The plasma shot made its way towards Daichi and exploded upon contact. Cracks appeared on the scorpion's armour.

"It worked! Hikari's attack had an effect on Hisakawa's exoskeleton!", Present Mic shouted. The crowd cheered excitedly. There had been a breakthrough.

It was fortunate that it worked but if his plasma shot could only crack Daichi's armour, then he was in quite the predicament. Unlike the laser beams, the plasma shot required concentration and heated his hand faster.

 _What should I do?_

The scorpion crawled its way towards him. It was slow so Kai had time to think. But no matter how hard he could think, the only possible way for him to win was to use the plasma shot. But would he reach his limit?

 _I want to be a hero!_ , he heard her cheerful voice.

 _What?_ , Kai thought, his mind a disarray.

 _Be the best hero you can be_ , he heard her voice again.

"Of course… how could I even try and give up" he mused emotionally. He thought back to that fateful day.

 **(His story…revealed)**

Kai Hikari lived a nice life. With a loving father and a caring mother, he lived a relatively nice life as a 4-year-old kid could have. However, he didn't have that many friends…except for a certain Quirkless girl named May Lilac.

His Quirk appeared when May was being bullied. After all, life was unfair for those who didn't have power. Kai couldn't accept that and when he punched a bully, a small burst of light shot from his fist. No one picked on her after that, and May was grateful for Kai's friendship.

For the next seven years, they became close and Kai even developed feelings for her, although he was still quite young to recognise this. They would hang out after school almost every day, go to the arcade machine in town, and they even had their own secret "headquarters" that no one knew about. She told him of her dream: to become a great Quirkless hero. Her smile captured Kai's heart for real and he told her that he would support her in her harsh journey in every way he could. Kai and May would often act out heroic scenes, with May being the Pro Hero and Kai being her faithful sidekick. After all, he didn't have any clear aspirations to be a Hero. When asked the classic "what do you want to be when you grow up" question in class, Kai had said an electrician. He had gotten a few laughs from his classmates since everyone knew only Pro Heroes were allowed to use Quirks outside of emergencies, but his teacher seemed impressed that he had thought of integrating his Quirk into a daily, respectable job. Still, his life was certainly blissful with May around, almost like a fairy tale.

But reality was different and not everything had a happy ending.

One night on their way back from "headquarters", a creep followed them, and he was easily noticed. Knowing they were in danger, they ran and ended up in an alleyway. The man had them cornered, and his breathing was unnatural. He wouldn't say anything but was muttering under his breath. They could barely hear "All Might, All Mig…Stain" in ragged chopped breaths, and the man was getting more panicked, which just scared them more.

Kai tried to fire a warning shot using his Quirk but before he knew it, a knife was on his neck. The man had sprinted forward and actually dodged his blast with surprising speed, pulling the knife from his pocket. May tackled the guy which made him release Kai. Kai was knocked to the ground, but then he saw a spray of scarlet streak the air.

Kai shot a concentrated ball of light at the man and knocked him out. His hands burned but he didn't mind as he ran towards May who was lying on the ground. The knife was embedded deep near in her side. It may not have been fatal for an adult but this was just a child, and a frail one at that. Desperate for help, Kai called an ambulance and the police.

"N-no…someone will come. You'll be fine…I'm…sorry!" he panicked. May just looked at him calmly, causing him to stop.

Be the best hero you can be… I love you… Kai…", she smiled weakly and closed her eyes for the last time. Those words were like poison to him. He finally understood, but it had been through the worst way possible, and it affected him deeply.

When the police arrived, May's parents broke down. Kai couldn't even bring himself to face them as he answered questions. Apparently, the murderer had no prior offences, but had severe schizophrenia. He also had many posters of both All Might and Hero Killer Stain when they searched his residence, seemingly having immersed himself in the world of heroes and villains. Unfortunately, these children bore the brunt of his mental collapse. He was to be admitted to an asylum given proof of insanity.

Miraculously, Kai bore no ill will towards him though. He was downtrodden and defeated. He felt it had been his responsibility to protect his friend. His childhood love. May Lilac.

Months passed and Kai was still mourning for her. He thought that if he was only stronger, he could have saved her. His Quirk was wasted on him. A certain night changed him.

He was walking around the park where he and May met for the first time. A shooting star went by and he made a wish to see his friend one last time. And as if by some miracle, she was standing next to him.

Kai broke down and cried as he apologized countless times. She told him that it was her choice to save him and that she didn't regret it for even a second. She hugged him and told him to be a hero for those who are weak. Like the same person who saved a Quirkless girl from bullies, she wanted him to be the light for the lost and weak people. She then faded away.

His eyes opened and he realized that he fell asleep at some point. Whether his encounter with May was a dream or not, his resolve hardened. He trained hard with his Quirk and soon applied for UA.

When he saw a boy faint in the practical exam, he was reminded of May for some reason. And when he saw how nervous and weak-looking he was despite his powerful Quirk, he felt that he should be his guiding light until he was able to stand on his own.

"I'm Kai Hikari!" he said with confidence.

"Mitsuji… Saiga…" the other boy muttered.

"Let's be great heroes!" said Kai with a smile on his face.

 _Like May would've wanted…_

 **Present day**

 _"That's right… How could I forget? I'm a guiding light! A light that never wavers!_ " Kai thought.

Large balls of light appeared in both of his hands. He felt his hands burning up but he didn't care. He would fight to the end. He would no longer regret things. The large balls of light continued growing forming formidable plasma.

"So, this is your power… Amazing", Daichi said after he returned to his human form, acknowledging Kai's potential.

 _May… I'll do my best!_

The huge balls of light shot off as huge laser beams from Kai's hands, surprising everyone who expected the concentrated shot. The light blinded everyone. Kai felt burns appearing on his hands but he still went on until he could no longer raise his hands. His arms were badly burned and he felt pain in his shoulders.

However…

"WHAT A SPECTACULAR ATTACK BY HIKARI! BUT… WHERE'S HISAKAWA?", Present Mic asked.

Kai looked around. He didn't see anything insect-like going towards him. Silence filled the stadium as they waited for Daichi's next move. Kai watched the field and the sky. How could Daichi disappear?

An answer formed in his mind as he looked down to the ground. He saw a tiny ant.

 _Don't tell me!_

The ant transformed into a human-sized mantis shrimp.

Kai couldn't raise or even shoot out lasers from his burnt hand. If his hands were of no use, then his eyes would do the work.

His eyes glowed but before he could attack, he got a straight punch from Daichi. Kai almost fainted but he fired lasers from his eyes. Daichi transformed into a dragonfly and avoided the attack. He got behind Kai and transformed into a mantis shrimp again.

Daichi landed a blow to Kai's back and knocked him unconscious. He then transformed into his human form.

"You have a strong resolve. And for that, I respect you", he said as he looked at Kai's burnt hands.

"HIKARI IS UNCONSCIOUS! HISEKAWA IS YOUR WINNER!" Present Mic screamed and the crowd erupted. The battle had been decided.


	30. Chapter 25: A Mirage in the Desert

"Yo Wilson!", Drake greeted Jacob.

"Hey there Smith. What's up?", Jacob asked. Even though he was heading to the arena, that didn't mean that he should ignore his classmates.

"I'm here to tell you about your enemy, Sunajiki Rantaro", he told him.

"Stop right there!"

"Huh?", the confused Drake asked.

"I appreciate your concern but I don't need it", Jacob said.

"Why? Wouldn't you want an advantage?"

"Well… Yeah… But I want to learn about his Quirk first-hand. I don't want anyone spoiling it for me"

"You're amusing. Well… If that's your choice, then I'll back off", Drake said and walked away.

"Now then… Time to get to that arena!", Jacob told himself.

He walked outside the corridor and saw many people cheering. His heart would've been able to handle it but he was more excited to fight his opponent than being nervous.

"He showed us his towering power, from the hero course: Jacob Wilson! As dangerous as the desert, from the hero course: Sunajiki Rantaro!", Present Mic announced.

 _Desert? So it must be related to sand huh_ , Jacob thought.

"START!"

Sand appeared from Sunajiki's hands and it flew towards Jacob. Thinking quickly, Jacob made a huge ethereal shield and blocked the attack. He successfully blocked the attack but then he noticed one thing. The sand that was blocked was circling him from the sides.

 _Not good! I'll be surrounded!_

He made a long ethereal staff which raised him to the sky. While he was up in the sky, he made a war hammer. He knew that swords and other bladed weapons were useless against Sunajiki's sand so he decided to pound them with a hammer. He fell down and was about to slam the hammer on Sunajiki but a wall of sand blocked him. The wall of sand was tougher than it looked but some of it was scattered due to the blow.

Sunajiki created more sand from his hands that launched towards Jacob. He dodged it because if he created a shield, the sand would just circle him. More sand went towards his direction and when he was about to avoid it, his feet couldn't move.

Jacob looked down and saw that his feet were covered with sand. He realized the enemy's plan. Sunajiki wasn't just shooting sand randomly. He was actually creating a field of sand.

He got hit by sand and was almost sent out of bounds but he managed to create a pole which was lodged to the ground and grabbed the pole as if his life depended on it.

"I see. Your Quirk allows you to create sand and control it. It's the same as Midoriya's Quirk except that your sand remains and you can still control it later", Jacob analysed.

"That's correct. While your Quirk allows you to create ethereal objects is it not?", Sunajiki asked.

"Yep! That's a pretty awesome Quirk! You could build sand towers to support falling buildings. Use sand to capture villains and rescue civilians. It's an all-around Quirk!", Jacob praised.

"Thanks. But flattery won't get you anywhere you know?"

"Hahaha. I'm not flattering you. I'm seriously impressed"

"Yeah. Want to return to the fight?"

"Fine by me"

Jacob noticed that the field had sand everywhere. But nothing would change if he idled by so he charged at Sunajiki. Sand from his left and right rose up and flew towards him. He saw that Sunajiki was producing more sand from his hands. If he kept that up, the arena would become a field of sand and Jacob would be at a disadvantage.

He shouted and created an ethereal war hammer again. Jacob swung the hammer but Sunajiki blocked it with a wall of sand. Sand grabbed him from behind and threw him away. Jacob was almost out of bounds again but he stabbed a spear to the ground and grabbed it.

The field had piles of sand. This was bad for him. However, he noticed one thing. Sunajiki was crossing his arms and was not creating more sand.

 _Is it because he is confident he can win? Or is it something else? Also, why isn't he attacking? Is he waiting for me?_ Jacob thought.

 _Remember what Midoriya-senpai thought you! First: look at the opponent's Quirk. Second: think of how you can use your Quirk against your opponent. Third and most importantly…_

He took a deep breath as his mind's gears ran at full speed.

 _He produces sand from his hands. Sand follows me. It could be any shape. Hardening is an option. Lots and lots of sand. More than a million particles of sand_ , those words floated his mind.

 _My Quirk: Summoning. Ethereal objects. Sharp or blunt. Blunt is useful against sand,_ he thought.

 _Sand… Blunt objects… Lots and lots of sand. Millions of particles of sand. Range… Range… Control…._

The pieces fit together. Izuku's words returned to his ears.

 _First: look at the opponent's Quirk. Second: think of how you can use your Quirk against your opponent. Third and most importantly…_

He smiled.

 _Never forget to smile!_

"Smiling huh? Judging from how you stood and thought, you probably got me figured out already", Sunajiki said.

"Probably", Jacob replied.

He charged without summoning anything and the piles of sand rose. However, Jacob didn't run straight to Sunajiki. He went around the field as the sand chased him. It took a while until he started to see the effect of his plan. The sand that was chasing him was getting thinner and thinner and he saw Sunajiki panting and sweating.

The sand stopped chasing him and Sunajiki panted. It was his chance. He ran to him and created ethereal gauntlets. He punched but a sand wall blocked him.

Jacob then sidestepped and tried to punch him again. Every time a sand wall blocked him, he sidestepped to an opening and punched again. Sunajiki smiled and raised his arms in surrender. Jacob stopped punching.

"I give up", Sunajiki said.

"Already?", Jacob asked.

"You already got me figured out. Any sane hero would retreat and get support from other heroes when a villain has an advantage", he answered.

Jacob found out Sunajiki's limits the moment he stopped producing sand. It was either that was the maximum amount of sand he could produce or he was saving his stamina. Also, controlling millions of sand particles required stamina and concentration. That was why all he had to do was make him tired by making him overuse his sand.

His gauntlets disappeared and he extended his hand. Sunajiki shook it.

"Sunajjiki Rantaro gives up! Jacob Wilson wins!", Nagusawa announced and the crowd cheered.


	31. Chapter 26: Take Flight Shadow Sprint

**The tournament rages on…**

Flying above the ground and shooting feathers at Nagai, Runa was having a hard time because Nagai kept on deflecting her feathers by splashing air. Nagai swam towards her and she kept her distance. Runa shot more feathers but Nagai splashed air again.

"You're quite stubborn", Runa said.

"I heard girls like persistent men", Nagai replied calmly.

They continued their fight in the air as Present Mic commentated. Runa had more mobility but her attacks were not that effective against Nagai since he could easily splash them away with air.

"Are you not getting tired? I do not wish to harm you so if you feel like it, you can surrender already", Nagai told her.

"Sorry. This is one fight that I can't give up on" she replied confidently.

"That is a shame" Nagai said but there was an odd tone in his voice. Runa noticed but decided against pondering in the middle of battle.

Nagai swam towards her but she flew upwards. Runa shot feathers at him but he avoided it. Her feathers had a long range but it could be easily deflected. Nagai's air splash had a short range so he to get close. Knowing that, Runa kept her distance.

Runa was looking at Nagai. Her match with him would get nowhere unless one of them made a move. That was why she flew higher and then skydived. Nagai splashed air at her but she endured the attack. With the force of gravity adding to the force of her descent, her kick was strong. Nagai was winded, but splashed air at point-blank range, causing her to become off balance.

He then stopped swimming in the air and grabbed her wings. Both of them were falling and crashed to the stadium after a few seconds. Nagai was about to pin her down when he felt something soft.

"I-I am sorry! It was an accident!", Nagai shouted as he backed away.

Runa looked at him with a flushed expression and tears on her eyes.

"Pervert…"

"I swear it's an accident!"

Runa shot feathers at him and since he was flustered, he got hit.

 _Keep calm! You are still in a fight!_ , Nagai scolded himself.

Runa flew upwards and Nagai chased after her. She tried skydiving again but Nagai dodged her. He splashed air at her and she fell down. Nagai dived down and kicked her. Runa used her wings to hit Nagai and they both fell down to the ground again.

Nagai and Runa immediately put some distance between them as they flew upwards. Runa shot more feathers but Nagai defended himself by splashing air.

"This is going nowhere", Nagai said.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see who gets tired first", Runa told him.

"Or not!", Nagai shouted and swiftly swam towards her.

Runa shot feathers at him but he avoided them. He got close and kicked but Runa's left wing blocked it. Runa noticed one vital piece of information. She flew away and Nagai chased after her. She then stopped and punched him. Since they observed that shooting feathers and splashing air wouldn't do a thing, they decided to duke it out in a close-ranged fight in flight.

Nagai kicked but Runa blocked him with her wings. She then grabbed his legs and that was when her suspicion was confirmed. Nagai no longer floated in the air.

"Let go!", Nagai shouted in a panic.

"I see. Your Quirk allows you to swim in the air, literally. If your leg cannot move, then you can't swim", Runa said.

She spun around in the air and threw him out of bounds.

"Nagai Tokuhei is out of bounds! Runa Tenshi wins!", Nagusawa announced.

"This is most unfortunate", Nagai said. _"Even when I tried to go against his wishes…I still lose. Damn it…"_

"You were a tough opponent", Runa told him as she flew down in front of him.

"So.. will you comfort me with dinner sometime?", he asked.

"I'll think about it", she answered diplomatically.

" _Well…that's not a no I guess"_ he pondered.

"AND THAT'S THE END OF 5TH BATTLE. NOW TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT FIGHT!", Present Mic shouted.

 **A short while after…**

"She was admitted through recommendations, from the hero course: Tsubaki Kamiya! He was also admitted through recommendations, from the hero course: Chris Midnight!"

"Good day", Tsubaki greeted formally.

"I won't hold back even on a girl you know?", Chris told her sincerely.

Tsubaki just smiled like a high-class girl.

"START!"

Chris' shadow rose and like Sunajiki's sand, it launched towards Tsubaki… until he noticed that she was moving really fast.

"WHAT AMAZING SPEED! WILL MIDNIGHT BE ABLE TO CATCH UP?! _"_

Tsubaki closed the gap in a few seconds and delivered an uppercut. She exhaled and then took a deep breath. Chris formed a staff made out of his own shadow and swung it. However, she easily dodged it and delivered a hook to his side.

"Why you!", his shadow turned into a hand which tried to grab Tsubaki but she backflipped her way out.

Tsubaki exhaled. Chris looked at her and then he smiled calmly.

"Is there something on my face?", Tsubaki asked.

"You've been holding your breath", Chris pointed out.

Tsubaki no longer smiled as her eyes became serious. Chris formed a staff using his own shadow. She inhaled and ran swiftly. The shadow boy made a shadow wall but Tsubaki went around it. Chris swung his staff but Tsubaki grabbed it. While her attention was on the staff, she didn't notice one thing as she felt pain on her stomach.

 _Impossible! I was looking at his shadow! How did I get hit?_ Tsubaki thought.

She looked down and saw a hand come out of her own shadow and punch her stomach again.

 _My own shadow?!_

The pain on her stomach made her exhale. Her perception of time returned to normal. She wanted to hold her breath again but before she could, she got hit to the ground by Chris' staff. His shadow then captured her and pinned her down to the ground.

Tsubaki struggled for a bit but…

"I yield", she gave up.

"Tsubaki Kamiya gave up. Chris Midnight wins!", Nagusawa announced.

Chris' shadow returned to normal and he helped Tsubaki up.

"You're pretty good. You actually made me use my trump card", Chris praised.

"It was a great learning experience for me. I should have known that you can control other's shadow as well", Tsubaki replied.

And with that, the sixth battle ended.


	32. Chapter 27: Concrete Clash

"Hey grandma, can I be a hero?", a small girl with purple hair asked.

"Why yes. Why wouldn't you be?", an elderly woman asked as she drank tea.

"But my Quirk can only absorb the traits of a thing. It's not flashy like the heroes on TV" the girl said shyly, running her fingers through her hair self-consciously.

"Dear, having a simple Quirk doesn't mean that you won't be a good hero. All you need is a good heart and you'll be a wonderful one. And grandma will always be here to support you" the mature woman said with a warm smile.

"You'll support me all the way?"

"Yes, I will. Who wouldn't support her granddaughter's dream?"

The purple-haired girl smiled and hugged her grandma. 10 years had passed and Nozomi Kido was walking towards the arena.

"She can be as tough as steel! From the hero course: Nozomi Kido!", Present Mic introduced.

Nozomi looked at the crowd and smiled. She even waved at her classmates.

"Her frenzied state is dangerous! From the hero course: Akabayashi Kemochi!"

A girl with red hair and two small horns walked up to the stage. They stood around 2 meters away from each other.

"Nice to meetcha Kemochi!", Nozomi said warmly.

"Just call me Akabayashi", she replied energetically.

"Then call me Nozomi!"

"Deal! And no hard feelings when you lose kay?"

"Same to you!"

"START!", Present Mic shouted.

Nozomi touched the concrete ground and she coated herself with concrete armour. Meanwhile, red mist circled around Akabayashi and her red eyes glowed.

"Frenzy 10%!", Akabayashi shouted.

She ran at a fast speed towards Nozomi and threw a punch. However, Nozomi blocked it. Nozomi then swung a right hook but Akabayashi ducked. She got hit by a low straight punch from Akabayashi to her stomach.

 _It hurts but not as much as Daichi's punches!_ Nozomi thought.

Nozomi grabbed Akabayashi's arm and gave her a head-butt. With her solid head, Nozomi's attack caused Akabayashi to be momentarily dizzy. But that moment was enough for her. She punched her face and then kicked her leg, causing her to lose her balance. Nozomi then pinned her to the ground.

"Got ya!", Nozomi told her.

"Or so you think! Frenzy 15%!", Akabayashi shouted.

Using brute strength alone, Akabayashi threw Nozomi off her back and escaped. She put some distance between her and Nozomi. Nozomi was surprised by the sudden increase in strength but she managed to remain calm. She readied herself for Akabayashi's next move.

Akabayashi charged at a faster speed than before.

 _She goes faster too?!_

Nozomi blocked her punch and she felt her armour cracking.

 _No way! That much power?!_

She kicked her away but Akabayashi easily closed the distance again. Akabayashi unleashed a barrage of punches and Nozomi avoided some of them. Those that she couldn't avoid left cracks in her concrete armour.

Nozomi punched Akabayashi's face but she received a blow to her stomach. She didn't mind the pain. After all, that was what Eijiro had taught her.

 _We got similar Quirks you know? That means I'll teach you my style of fighting_ , she remembered Eijiro's words.

 _Just be manly and fight them straight on! Even if your body is breaking apart, you must continue fighting and directing all of the villain's attack to you! That way, those you want to protect will be protected!_ Eijiro told her.

At the time, she had seemed a bit confused at his uses of "manly" but soon realised this just meant he treated her the same as anyone. Both men and woman were capable of acts of machoism to him, and she found it charming.

Nozomi gladly accepted Akabayashi's punch and then she punched her in the face. They exchanged blows. Nozomi would punch her after receiving a blow from Akabayashi. That continued on as she felt her armour peeling away and the pain intensifying.

She then ducked and touched the ground. Her concrete armour was repaired and she returned to exchanging blows with the frenzied girl.

"You're fun! I guess I can have fun with you! Frenzy 20%!" Akabayashi shouted manically.

More red mist surrounded her and her horns seemed to grow longer. Nozomi was alarmed. Akabayashi charged at her at a speed so fast that Nozomi couldn't react in time. Nozomi received a powerful blow to her stomach and her concrete armour immediately cracked.

Her vision blurred.

 **A long time ago…**

It was a rainy day as she sat silently. Tears wanted to fall from her eyes and yet somehow, they didn't.

"Grandma…", Nozomi muttered.

She was already 10 years old by that time and now she was all alone in the world. Her parents were regular people who died due to a villain attack. The only family she had was her grandmother. The person who supported her was now gone.

Her life was not easy. She moved from place to place as she was passed around by her distant relatives. It was until she was 15 when they decided that she should just live alone. They would just send her living allowance and would check up on her if they wanted to.

The only thing that remained with her was her dream: to become a hero. She applied for UA and fortunately, she got accepted even if she had a simple Quirk. Nozomi wanted to become a symbol. A symbol for those who believe that they don't have the potential to be a hero no matter what their Quirk is or what their circumstances are.

Nozomi clenched her fist. She was already tired. Fighting Daichi drained her and now she was fighting a strong opponent. She saw that Akabayashi was about to punch her and so she dodged it.

 _Power… I need power!_

The only opening she saw allowed her to do a right swing but she knew a right swing wouldn't be enough to knock her out. She needed more power. That was then it happened.

Her right hand turned into a hammer. She was surprised by the sudden change of her hand. Nozomi was so surprised that she missed her chance to attack.

Akabayashi, in a world of her own to even notice the form change, punched Kido in the face. Her armour cracked and she fell down on the ground. Nozomi's armour disappeared. Nagusawa approached her and looked at her.

"Nozomi Kido is unconscious. Akabayashi Kemochi wins!", Nagusawa announced.

The crowd cheered and the red mist surrounding Akabayashi calmed down. Her memory of the fight was hazy but she knew that Nozomi fought a good fight.

"I haven't had a fight like that in a while. Hope to be fighting you again", she said, in a bit of a daze as the infirmary robots took Kido away.

In the crowd, some audience members were debating.

"Wow…Class B are really showing their grit this year, right? I mean that's two of the three qualifiers into the next round" a pro Hero said to his sidekick.

"Yes, I suppose. Not to mention, that Akabayashi is quite fearsome. Did she say she was only using 20% of her power? I can't help but shudder at what 100% means…and at such a young age no doubt. Quirks are like muscles, so if she trains like that…" the two continued their heated discussion.

In the parking lot, Nagai Tokuhei and Runa Tenshi had just recovered from their match and had been walking back from the water fountains, when Nagai saw his Father getting into a limousine. They both approached the businessman.

"Ah! Nagai, there you are. And…" he looked Tenshi up and down, "the woman who beat you." Nagai tried not to but he clenched his fists a bit. Runa looked at him worriedly.

"Well no matter! You tried your best. I could tell. No, more training is needed and I'm sure you'll rise to the occasion. Now look, I wish I could stay, but you know, business calls. Try to take it easy for the rest of today at least."

He then reached over and quickly whispered to his son "Well done for not showing your trump card at least." Nagai's face betrayed no response, but the air felt tense and thick.

"Sir, your meeting with Dr Clarke is in twenty minutes, we should really be leaving" said a personal assistant, and Mr Tokuhei decided to head off. There was an awkward silence between Runa and Nagai.

"Hey…Tokuhei-kun…was that…"

"Daisuke Tokuhei. CEO of Tokuhei Renewables…24th richest man in the world and…my Father. Yeah, that's him." Nagai's tone was dull and depressed.

The two headed back to the arena in silence.


	33. Chapter 28: Kuroi Niriyama - Origin

"He surprised us over and over again in the obstacle race. From the hero course: Mitsuji Saiga!"

Mitsuji looked around as he walked up to the arena. He felt pain in his stomach as his nervousness was getting to him. After all, the realization that thousands of people were watching him and that he was on national television was dawning on him. And unlike the obstacle race and capture the flag, he was the centre of attention.

 _Don't worry. You'll do fine. You told her that you'll get the 1st place. Also, Senpai is believing in me!_ he thought.

"…From the hero course: Kuroi Niriyama!", Mitsuji didn't hear Present Mic's introduction of Kuroi since he was deep in thought.

A boy with black hair and red eyes calmly walked up to the arena. His hands were in his pockets and he was smiling. It wasn't a friendly smile though. Instead, it was a smile that showed that he was looking down on others.

"START!"

Mitsuji got into a fighting stance but he saw that Kuroi wasn't even moving.

"I have a question", Kuroi said.

"What is it?", Mitsuji asked.

"Why is a nervous wreck like you here in the final round?"

Mitsuji was taken aback by what he said.

"In the first training exercise, you were pretty pathetic as you nervously moved and mumbled. If you didn't defeat Mondronen, you would've been even more pathetic in my eyes. Ah right. You passed out after you defeated him", Kuroi told him matter-of-factly.

"What are you trying to do?", Mitsuji asked defensively.

"I'm just asking a question. Why is a nervous wreck like you here in the final round?", Kuroi repeated his question.

"It's because someone believes in me. She knows that I can do it. That's why… I'll show her that she is right!", Mitsuji answered triumphantly.

Kuroi stopped smiling as four of his red tentacles emerged from his back. Mitsuji felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Kuroi's eyes. They were as cold as ice and his look felt like it could pierce right through him.

"I see. It makes sense now… You are more pathetic than I thought", Kuroi said as he charged.

 _1…2…_

Mitsuji shot flames but Kuroi wrapped himself in his tentacles. He was surprised that Kuroi wasn't even fazed by his flames. Mitsuji decided to increase the heat of his flames but Kuroi didn't stop charging.

 _Dang it!_ Mitsuji thought.

 _1…_

Kuroi stopped wrapping himself in his tentacles and had one of them swipe at Mitsuji.

 _2…_

An earth wall pierced through the concrete ground and shielded Mitsuji from the tentacle. He touched the ground and spikes made out of earth emerged from beneath Kuroi but before they could hit him, Kuroi jumped out of the way, using his remaining back tentacles as a spring.

 _1…2…_

Mitsuji faced his hand at Kuroi and unleashed electricity at him. However, Kuroi wrapped his tentacles around himself again and defended. He seemed unfazed.

 _He's resistant to flame and electricity? This is a bad match-up!_ Mitsuji thought.

"Are you done?", Kuroi asked calmly.

 _1…2…_

Mitsuji had earthen spikes appear beneath Kuroi but he jumped up.

"Then… it's my turn" Kuroi spoke.

He landed and a tentacle swung at Mitsuji but Mitsuji created a wall made of earth. But that didn't stop Kuroi. He continued attacking with his tentacles from all angles as Mitsuji put up more earthen walls until they broke, leaving Mitsuji exposed. Kuroi landed a blow on Mitsuji which blew him away.

 _1…2…_

When Mitsuji landed, he shot hotter flames at Kuroi. Tentacles wrapped around Kuroi again and shielded him from the flames. Kuroi slowly walked towards the attacking Mitsuji but Mitsuji didn't stop shooting flames. He had a hunch that Kuroi's tentacles would heat up sooner and later.

And his hunch was correct. Kuroi jumped out of Mitsuji's attack.

"Kufufufu. You found out. I was hoping to continue tricking you until I won", Kuroi said.

"So, your tentacles do heat up" Mitsuji spoke defiantly. He was in the zone.

"Yep. Although it takes some time. Very well, I'll get a bit serious on a pathetic little one like you" he smiled.

Kuroi ran. Mitsuji shot flames but instead of wrapping himself with tentacles, Kuroi masterfully avoided it with a combination of sidestepping and raising himself up with his tentacles.

He got close enough and smacked Mitsuji with his tentacle. Mitsuji then grabbed the tentacle that attacked him.

 _1…_

Mitsuji pulled the tentacle and got near to Kuroi.

 _2…_

He unleashed electricity all over his body and shocked Kuroi. As he was electrocuted, Kuroi attacked Mitsuji with the remaining three tentacles he had. Mitsuji continued releasing electricity until one of the tentacles wrapped around him and threw him away.

"You actually changed a lot! Is this all because someone believed in you?", Kuroi asked inquisitively.

"Yes. I will prove her right", Mitsuji answered.

"Pathetic. How laughable!", Kuroi shouted and glared at him.

Mitsuji felt something from Kuroi. It was anger, hatred, and disappointment. He had always found him mysterious. Never saying anything in class aside from his usual "Kufufufu", he was quiet and according to Kai, he was strong. But now, he felt those emotions in him.

"People like you disgust me", Kuroi spat.

"What do you mean?", Mitsuji asked.

"Fighting because someone believes in you? Look at you! You can barely do a thing when no one believed in you and now that someone does, you become powerful? What if that someone stops believing? Will you revert to your old nervous and useless self?", Kuroi asked.

"Your point?"

"Heroes always say that they fight because someone believes in them. They say that the smiles of the people drive them on. I find that laughable. If they don't smile for you, will you stop saving? If they hate you, will you give up?"

"…"

"You've got a powerful Quirk but you can't use it properly until someone believed in you? That's stupid! You're saying you won't save anyone unless they believe in you? Real heroes don't require approval. They continue saving even if the whole world is against them!"

Kuroi calmed down and took a deep breath...

"Looks like I got carried away. Shall we continue this fight?", Kuroi asked.

"You're right. I'm pathetic", Mitsuji said confidently.

"Huh?"

"I couldn't do a thing when no one believed in me. But her words opened my eyes. Having someone believe in you is the greatest support one could get. You're right that heroes should fight even if the whole world is against them. But don't you think that someone out there still believes in them? Family, friends, or even a stranger?"

"That's just wishful thinking", Kuroi said plainly.

He knew all too well what it was like to be believed in. And how hurtful it is to be betrayed.

 **Years ago…**

Kuroi Niriyama was a known delinquent. Everyone in his school and in his area knew of his acts. He would beat up people and sometimes steal their money. There were even rumours that he attacked a teacher. But he wasn't like that before. Kuroi used to be one of the hero-prodigies in his school.

"I believe that you'll be a great hero", a teacher told him.

"Really sir?", he asked.

"Yeah. You got the wits, the strength, and the Quirk. You even have a good heart. As long as you don't stray from the right path, any Sensei would always believe in you"

Those words gave him joy. Being believed in was the greatest feeling one could have.

A few days later, he saw a person being bullied. The person was a student that no one cared about but Kuroi remembered his teacher's words. He decided to step in and stop the bullying. Instead of a peaceful resolution, it ended with a fight where Kuroi emerged victorious.

The next day, he was called to the office. Apparently, he beat up one of the top students in the school who was going to represent them in an important sporting contest. But now he was injured, the school was in a pinch. Before Kuroi could explain that he had to do it because someone was being bullied, his teacher glared at him.

"I was wrong to believe in you. You clearly let it all get to your head. A person like you don't deserve to be a hero", his teacher said.

That set him off.

Before he knew it, he smashed the teacher's desk using his Quirk and he glared back at him. Kuroi left the room angry and disappointed. He decided to prove everyone wrong by becoming a great hero even if no one believed in him.

He beat up bullies and he wouldn't even care if the bullies made it seem like he was the bad guy. Kuroi would return the extorted money the bullies took to their rightful owners. As he was hated by the entire school, he continued "saving" people.

It didn't go unnoticed. It seemed someone used their connections to get him into UA by recommendations and now he was a student there. He remembered the sneering looks of relief when it had been announced. He'd be out of their hair. _Good for them._ And his first step in becoming a hero was to be on top of the pack.

 **Back to present day!**

They continued fighting. Mitsuji would shoot flames while Kuroi would avoid and then try to hit him with his tentacles. Electricity, fire, earth, and tentacles clashed as the resolve of each student intensified. One was being believed in so he had strength. The other had the resolve to continue on fighting even without support.

 _1…2…_

Mitsuji shot flames at Kuroi but the tentacles got in the way.

"What kind of hero are you if you can't move without a person believing in you?" Kuroi asked as his tentacle hit Mitsuji in the face.

"They say that they'll support you until the end but then give up on you. You say that it's the greatest feeling the world. Yes it is! But the pain that comes after it is the worst!", Kuroi shouted as he beat up Mitsuji.

"So what? I won't be afraid to get hurt", Mitsuji said as he blocked a tentacle.

"Don't be stupid! You don't understand. I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this for you and every other person out there. Don't make the same mistake as I did!" Kuroi yelled.

The remaining three tentacles hit Mitsuji.

Kuroi raised his hand and a tentacle wrapped itself around his hand and became a drill. He then charged at Mitsuji.

 _1…2…_

Fire shot off from Mitsuji's hands but Kuroi used his arm that had a tentacle wrapped around it to shield himself. A tentacle thrust and hit Mitsuji. Another tentacle swiped Mitsuji. Kuroi got close enough and used his drill-like arm to pierce Mitsuji. Blood flowed from Mitsuji's stomach.

"Niriyama! Warning!", Nagusawa shouted.

Kuroi backed off. Luckily, the wound wasn't too deep but for Mitsuji, it was still painful. He still stood up and gritted his teeth. There was no way he would give up. She believed in him. He had to win this.

"Give up. Blood rushed to my head and injured you that much. If you want to continue, I won't hold back even if you're wounded", Kuroi warned.

"Are you kidding me? If she sees me giving up because of something like this, how would she feel after telling me that I'll become a great hero?", Mitsuji asked and his body emitted little sparks of electricity.

Nagusawa looked at Mitsuji. He wanted to stop the match but he doubted that Mitsuji would allow that. But if things get worse, he would stop it no matter what both parties would say.

Mitsuji shot electricity and Kuroi shielded himself with his tentacles. Kuroi charged when Mitsuji stopped attacking and swiped his tentacle. Mitsuji felt pain and his wound bled. Using this opening, Kuroi's tentacles grabbed Mitsuji's arms and legs while he used his hand to grab the neck. He successfully pinned down Mitsuji.

"Looks like having someone believe in you only gets you this far", Kuroi said.

"I wonder who believed in a pathetic man like you. She must be stupid", he added.

Kuroi felt that Mitsuji was getting hotter.

 _Not good!_ he thought.

He released Mitsuji and got away just in time before a pillar of flame appeared. In the centre of the flame was an angry Mitsuji.

"Don't you dare insult Senpai!", Mitsuji shouted.

Even from far away, the audience felt the heat of his flames. Kuroi readied himself. He had to make the first move before Mitsuji could do a thing. His tentacles hardened and wrapped around him as he ran towards Mitsuji.

Mitsuji gathered all of the flames into his right arm and shot it towards Kuroi. However…

The wound on Mitsuji's stomach bled even more and he felt dizzy as his temperature skyrocketed. He then collapsed to the ground after a while.

 _I have to fight. Senpai believes in me…,_ he thought as he tried to get up.

 _Senpai… Senpai…... Sen…pai…,_ he passed out.

Kuroi stood on the field. He had burn marks and his tentacles were limping on the ground, black in colour since they were burnt.

"That was… dangerous", Kuroi said. _That boy has so much drive through belief…but no. I proved my ideology was supreme._

"Mitsuji Saiga lost consciousness. Kuroi Niriyama wins!", Nagusawa announced.


	34. Chapter 29: The Calm Before The Storm

Suzumi was in Class A's waiting room. She had her cellphone to her ears as she was talking to her cousin, Izuku.

"I lost…", she said in a sullen tone.

"Don't mind it. I lost too in my first sports festival. It's already amazing that you made it to the final obstacle", Izuku comforted her.

"How about you?", she asked.

"I made it through the first round" he said quietly.

"Figures. With a Quirk like yours, fighting must be easy" Suzumi said matter-of-factly.

Izuku had no answer to that. After all, his Quirk used to be the Number 1 hero's Quirk so it was no question that it was powerful.

"Don't worry. If you train hard enough, you'll get strong. It's not about the Quirk. It's about the effort you put in", Izuku told her.

"… You're right… Shouldn't you be preparing for the next round?"

"Yeah. Talk to you later", Izuku hung up.

 _He's blessed with a good Quirk. We're family but why didn't I get the same Quirk as him?_ , Suzumi thought.

 **Meanwhile in the infirmary…**

Aome felt the pain in her body fade away after Recovery Girl kissed her. However, she was tired. The same went for Tora. His bruised body was healed at the cost of his stamina.

"Seriously! You children are too competitive. I know it's a sports festival and it's important for you to show the pros what you got but don't forget about your body!", Recovery Girl scolded.

"Sorry", both of them apologized.

"Now get out. I have other patients to take care of"

Tora and Aome exited the clinic and headed towards the bleachers. It was silent until Tora decided to break it.

"Don't get too cocky. I'll prove to you that cats are better than dogs", Tora said.

"Whatever", Aome deadpanned.

The silence returned as they continued walking.

"You know… you fought well. I was proud of Full Tiger Form but you just defeated it. That just shows that I need more training", he said.

"Your Full Tiger Form was indeed dangerous. I only got lucky since you didn't finish me off early", Aome replied.

"Want to train together sometime?", Tora proposed.

Aome thought about it for a minute.

"That wouldn't be bad"

"Great! Then we can grab dinner together or maybe some ice cream", Tora said and winked at her.

He then ran and left Aome behind.

Kai woke up feeling exhausted.

"You're awake already huh?", Recovery Girl spoke while moving away from some medical forms.

"What happened?", he asked.

"You lost" she reminded him gently.

The feeling of defeat washed over Kai's heart. He looked and saw other people lying in beds. Nozomi and Mitsuji were in their beds and were unconscious.

"I know you really wanted to win but that doesn't mean you should hurt your body", Recovery Girl told him.

Bandages were wrapped around his arm which felt numb.

"I didn't fully heal them since it would take too much of your energy. After you've rested up for real, you return here and have them healed. This should also serve you as a reminder to be careful in using your Quirk. Sheesh. 1st year students really are reckless" she muttered.

"Sorry", Kai apologized.

"Now go to your classmates. They must be worried about you"

"Yes ma'am" he responded diligently.

Kai arrived at the bleachers where his classmates greeted him.

"You did good. Daichi is strong so you put up quite a good fight", Drake said.

"You're flashy! I like you!", Watabe complimented.

"Still… you were reckless. You actually burned your hands while shooting those lasers. What were you thinking?", Kokoro asked worriedly.

Kai smiled as he looked at his bandaged arm.

"I remembered someone important" he said softly and everyone looked confused.

Kai felt someone tap on his shoulder. It was Jacob and he sat down next to him.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Aside from being tired and having numb arms, I'm fine", Kai answered.

"You fought well"

"You know… Daichi's Quirk is…"

"Stop! I don't want any spoilers. I need to experience it first-hand. Also, I have an idea already and thought of countermeasures", Jacob said.

"Hahaha. As expected of you", Kai laughed.

Runa and Nagai sat down above the two of them.

"Why don't we have dinner sometime to celebrate your victory against me?", Nagai asked.

"I'll think about it", Runa answered but in actuality, she had no plan to accept his offer.

Tsubaki was silently sitting and reading a book as the faculty repaired the field. They had to remove the earthen walls and spikes Mitsuji made and repair the cracks in the arena.

"Dear me. I did not expect Saiga to fight that well. He would be a dangerous rival. Maybe I should not get on his bad side", she muttered, impressed.

Nozomi woke up a few minutes after Aome and Tora left. She immediately looked at her right hand and was relieved it returned to normal.

 _But what was that?,_ she thought.

She was certain that her hand turned into a hammer when she was about to hit Akabayashi. Was her Quirk more than material absorption? She then heard people cheer.

"What's going on?", she asked.

"The second round is about to start", Recovery Girl answered.

"Now go and watch your classmates. You aren't that injured so you don't need me to heal you. Just rest up after this sports festival and you will be fine", she added.

"Thanks", Nozomi responded and ran outside.

Whatever was going on with her Quirk, she would have to think about it later. Right now, she had to support her friends.

"EVERYBODY! THE SECOND ROUND OF THE FINALS IS HERE! ARE YOU READY?!", Present Mic asked.

The crowd cheered.

"NOW! LET THE SECOND ROUND…. BEGIN!"


	35. Interlude 4: The Assassin and the CEO

**Tokuhei Renewables Ltd. Tokyo HQ**

"Will you be having coffee in the meeting Sir?" Daisuke Tokuhei's personal assistant queried as they walked to the meeting room.

"Yes, please Helen. Black for me. Milk no sugar for my client." Daisuke informed her and she gave a curt nod, walking towards the refreshment area of the building. The Tokyo HQ was the largest branch of Daisuke's company, followed in descending order by the New York Branch, London Branch, Paris Branch, Brazil Branch and Slovakia Branch. They were still expanding though.

Daisuke stepped into a large conference room, where he observed a woman sat at the head of the table surrounded by bodyguards in black suits. The woman was about to stand up but Daisuke motioned her that it was okay to remain seated. He pulled up a chair at the other end of the table.

"What's with all the protection Emilia? Do you not trust me?"

"Don't worry Sir. They're the best of the best. As Head of Security, I guarantee it" said a man at the front of the pack. Daisuke eyed him over curiously.

"They're as much for you as they are for me. I've heard whispers about a large criminal organisation gunning for my head. Now, the Eight Precepts are finished without Chisaki. The Meta-Liberation Army is a joke. That just leaves them" Emilia responded.

"The League of Villains" Daisuke murmured. What Emilia didn't know is that he had ties to them as well as her. Always good to keep his options open. He had even met with the prestigious All For One on an occasion, and it had been a harrowing experience. The man refused to be seen in public and even with a shaded screen between them, Daisuke had felt immense tension from his voice alone.

"All For One is locked up in Tartarus though. An organisation without their leader is aimless. I should know. And I don't think anyone is worthy to take up that mantle" reasoned Daisuke.

"Yes…you have a point" Emilia pondered.

All of a sudden, as if in a flash they both heard a thud behind Emilia. They turned quickly and saw one of the bodyguards to the back lying in a pool of his own blood. A second later, another one fell, a bullet hole in his head.

The Head yelled "Sir and Madam, the table now!" and motioned to his men to take cover as well. Daisuke and Emilia hit the ground and slid under the table.

One second later, another bodyguard hit the floor. There was no sound from a gunshot, but it was unmistakeably a gunshot wound to the head each time.

"It must be a silenced sniper rifle!" shouted the Head as he ducked behind a chair.

 _Certainly, that is the conclusion one would draw from this…however_ mused Daisuke, and he started to formulate a plan. He motioned to Emilia to stay hidden, and he started watching the legs of the bodyguards. After two more died, he realised what was happening. He lifted his wrist and an electronic clock was underneath. He typed in some calculations into it, and then started to concentrate. Emilia looked at him quizzically.

All of a sudden, a man started coughing loudly. Daisuke came from under the table to confront the culprit.

"Head of Security. You are the killer." He proclaimed, and lo and behold, the man was stood their holding a 9mm gun with a smoking barrel. The other bodyguards backed away, visibly confused.

The man's eyes darted left and right for an escape route. "How did you know?".

Many things. Firstly, you mentioned that it must be a sniper rifle. However, what you didn't know was these windows are of the highest quality known to mankind. They can't be penetrated by neither Quirks nor conventional weaponry. That made me realise that the killer must be in this room. It may even be the man who misdirected me. But that wasn't enough. I needed proof.

Secondly, I needed proof of being in this room. I started watching the legs of everyone in the room. Every time someone died, a pair of legs disappeared. A pair of legs with a slight bit of blood on their shoe. When Daisuke said this, the man's eyes shot down.

"Shit…I didn't clean them properly" he exclaimed.

"Quite right vermin. You didn't. That gave me the theory that you had taken out the real Head of Security and posed as him. I noticed the bloody shoes when you first spoke to me, and I looked you up and down.

Thirdly, I needed to ascertain your position. This handy device here lets me calculate complicated eigenvectors in a matter of seconds. Only my bloodline is even allowed this technology; it's not for commercial sale.

Fourthly, since you kept disappearing, I assumed it was a Quirk. One that masks your presence. Correct?"

The man grinned. "Correct"

 **Name: Jasper Kench. Quirk: Blindspot - As long as he holds his breath, people don't notice him unless he directly interacts with them. Noises he makes are still made but people can't tell where they are coming from. This is good for infiltration, but relies on his lung strength so people can exploit that with the right knowledge.**

"I merely took away your breath via…now that would be telling. Such a shame that your Quirk happens to be pivotal on that."

The other man clapped. Daisuke smiled but remained cautious. "You don't seem very afraid. That's no good. Fear is the best way to control the hearts of man."

"Oh, don't worry bub. I always got a plan Jasper smiled callously. And suddenly, he dashed towards the window, vaulting over the conference table. Daisuke didn't have time to calculate a shot so he shot an air current towards the assassin and narrowly missed. Jasper used some technology to phase through the unbreakable window, and suddenly he was yanked upwards to the ceiling. Daisuke made a quick call to activate a company drone to get some footage. The assassin had set up a grapple and wire before hand in case of an escape.

"Emilia, you can come out now", said Daisuke, and she did. "You guys are useless, leave." He motioned to the security team and they shuffled out quickly.

"So I'm the one who can't be trusted, when you have the breach. I see".

Emilia wanted to retort but she really couldn't.

Just then, Helen the PA returned with a tray. "Sir, do you still want your coffee?" she asked and then saw the bloodstains all over the floor. She gasped.

Daisuke remained unfazed. "Yes, please Helen, right there for my guest please".

 **Nearby rooftop…**

"Ah…so the plan failed, Mr Shigaraki" Jasper said speaking into a cellphone.

"Well then. You don't get the second half of your money. Good day." the voice on the other end replied and cut off.

Jasper sighed. Being a freelancer was always difficult.


	36. Chapter 30: Savage Skirmish

**U.A, Tournament Stadium**

Aome and Narruk faced each other, wary of each other. Tension filled the air between the two of them.

"THE TWO WOLVES OF CLASS A FACE EACH OTHER! WHO IS THE ALPHA BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM?! NARRUK MONDRONEN VS. AOME OKAMI! START!", Present Mic shouted.

Narruk transformed into his wolf form and charged at Aome on all fours. When he was close enough, he leaped towards her and clawed but Aome dodged it. She kicked him but Narruk blocked it. He then used his tail to hit her. Aome backed away.

 _Narruk's got better enhancements to his strength and speed. I can't risk getting injured just to get stronger. I am already tired from Recovery Girl's treatment on me and I need to fight other battles_ , Aome thought.

Aome took deep breaths. She knew that Narruk must also be observing her. While his speed and strength were less than Tora's Full Tiger Form, it was still dangerous.

Narruk ran towards her and when he got close, he swiped his claws. Aome dodged it and kicked him but he caught her leg.

"Slow!", Narruk shouted and slammed her to the ground.

He quickly punched her stomach while she was down on the ground. Aome let out a shout full of pain and she almost blacked out but due to her receiving pain, she got an increase in her strength. Aome grabbed his hand that was pinning her and gripped it tight. Narruk yelped like a dog and tried to remove her strong grip but it was like a wolf was biting him and refusing to let go. The crowd was quiet and horrified at this surprisingly savage skirmish.

Narruk punched Aome over and over again but that only made her stronger. He felt his bones cracking but he landed a strong blow to her diaphragm which made her lose her breath and loosen her grip. That was enough for Narruk to escape and move away from her.

He felt his arm was going numb and when he tried to move it, it hurt. Aome coughed blood as she stood up. Power was surging through her but her body was hurting all over.

"You don't know how to treat a lady", Aome complained sarcastically.

"With a grip like that, are you even one?", Narruk asked stone-faced.

 _Bastard._ Aome thought.

Aome ran. She was swift and threw a punch. He blocked it but he was slightly pushed back. Aome continued punching as he was pushed away. Also, Narruk was feeling pain in his defending arm.

He was at a disadvantage. His arm was badly hurt, Aome had a sudden power-up, and he had no idea how her Quirk worked. He thought it was just an enhancement-type Quirk like his but seeing her getting stronger and stronger, he wasn't sure anymore.

 _What would Bakugo-senpai do?_ , he asked himself.

Aome charged at him and he barely avoided her attacks. She swiped, punched, and kicked while he avoided. Narruk realized her plan. Aome was actually trying to make him back away enough to push him out of bounds.

 _What am I scared of? Bakugo-senpai didn't train me for this! In this situation, he would definitely do this!_

"DIE!", Narruk shouted and punched Aome in the face.

Aome was surprised at his sudden attack but she returned a punch. Narruk and Aome traded blows. Narruk felt her attacks getting stronger and stronger while Aome was about to collapse due to pain and fatigue.

She tried to uppercut him but Narruk suddenly transformed into his human form making her miss her attack. He then grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground. Narruk transformed back into his wolf form and unleashed a barrage of punches at her despite his hurt arm. He beat her up nonstop and didn't allow her to make a move. Cracks formed on the arena's floor and blood dripped down Aome's mouth.

This was the only way he could get an overwhelming victory. He had no other choice. After all, Katsuki told him that. Some villains would try to make the heroes lower their guard by telling them sob stories. That was why a hero must harden his heart and defeat the villain no matter what. Afterwards, they can listen to the villain's story when he/she was imprisoned.

That was why Narruk showed no mercy even if he was facing a girl and a classmate. The arm that Aome gripped sent a shock of pain throughout Narruk and for a second, he stopped. That one second was all Aome needed to land a strong blow to Narruk which sent him flying to the sky.

He crashed into the ground and got up after a while. Narruk saw that Aome was in a terrible state. Her left eye was closed since blood was flowing from her head. She had bruises around her arms. However, her eyes didn't show any sign of weakness at all.

Aome instantly appeared in front of Narruk as if she teleported. However, Narruk knew that she didn't teleport. She was just too fast for his eyes to follow.

She punched him and he got blown away. Narruk barely managed to remain standing. He then coughed up blood.

 _What a terrifying woman. No. She isn't just a woman. She's a warrior!_ , Narruk thought.

He knew that he couldn't take another hit and that his limit was drawing near. Also, he was almost out of bounds as his feet were very near the line.

Aome appeared in front of Narruk again and he spread his arms as he smiled.

 _I wouldn't mind losing to a warrior like you_ , he thought.

Aome punched him and he got blown away. He was out of bounds and unconscious. She panted and felt pain all over her body.

"Narruk Mondronen is out of bounds. Aome Okami wins!", Nagusawa announced.

Aome weakly raised her fist and the crowd went wild.


	37. Chapter 31: Regrets and Opportunities

**Outside the Infirmary**

"Hey Suzumi", Aome greeted.

"Hey Aome. Woah! What happened?!", Suzumi asked worriedly.

The wolf-girl had lots of bandages wrapped around her. Her head, arms and legs were heavily bandaged and she seemed to be barely able to stand.

"My fight with Narruk wounded me really bad. You should've seen Recovery Girl scold me", Aome told her with a laugh.

However, Suzumi was worried for her friend. With those injuries, she might get into real trouble in the next round. Every time Aome would fight, Suzumi would get worried. Even though Aome gets stronger as she gets hurt, that doesn't mean that she should fight recklessly.

Aome sat down beside Suzumi and took a deep breath. Recovery Girl only did minor healing on her since Aome would pass out if she would receive a full-blown healing.

"Who's next?", Aome asked, trying to alleviate some of the tension.

"The next match is Daichi vs. Jacob", Suzumi answered.

"Daichi huh? There's no doubt he's strong. Let's see what Jacob can do against him"

 **UA Tournament Stadium**

"AN IMPENETRABLE DEFENSE AND HIGH MOBILITY! THE TRANSFORMING STUDENT FROM THE HERO COURSE: DAICHI HISAKAWA! ALL AROUND SUMMONING OF OBJECTS! THE FLEXIBLE STUDENT FROM THE HERO COURSE: JACOB WILSON!", Present Mic announced.

Jacob and Daichi faced each other in the arena. There was nothing but silence between the two of them as tension filled the air.

"START!"

 **Infirmary**

Mitsuji woke up, and immediately felt pain all over. Then he remembered; he had lost. Frustration welled up inside him, and he covered his eyes.

 _How the hell am I supposed to show Sis my progress? And Senpai…. I'm so sorry!_

A knock on the door jolted him from bed. "Who is it?" he asked nervously.

"Niriyama. I'm coming in." said the unexpected guest, and he opened the door.

 _WAH! Has he come to finish me off!? Surely not…_ was Mitsuji's panicked reaction, but he calmed down when he saw that Niriyama had a troubled expression on his face. He seemed…soft. Somehow.

"W-what's up?" Mitsuji said in his most fearsome voice.

"Don't try to act tough kid. It was a good match".

"What are you, an old man? Wait…really?" said Mitsuji aloud, catching onto the rest of Niriyama's sentence.

"Yeah. While I take issue with your frankly unhealthy ideologies, your power is real. I have to acknowledge that; I honestly analyse you to be at least top 5 in our class. If you gain confidence, I'll really have to watch for you."

"O-oh. Wow…but seriously, what's your problem with me wanting to be a hero? I just want to save people" Mitsuji complained and he was silenced when Niriyama shot him a cold look.

"Just stop. You remind me of my old self. And look at me now. I can't form any meaningful connections, and I've isolated myself from everyone. And I don't think this is something where I can just turn off a switch and re-join society. You'd do well to remember that. Don't get obsessed with heroism and dogmatic goals. There is more to life outside it."

The introspective moment was cut short when Mitsuji unintentionally voiced out loud "He really does speak like an old man." Causing Niriyama to glare his way. Mitsuji yelped and retreated to the other side of his bed. Niriyama sighed and continued.

"I need you to know…why I am the way I am."

And he recounted his story, all the hatred and pain he had felt during their match, while Mitsuji listened intently. Afterwards, he simply left the room. They both knew somehow that Mitsuji would not spread this information, and that no further words were needed.

As he walked towards the stadium, he steeled himself for his coming matches.

 _Hisakawa…_

 **UA Tournament Stadium**

Daichi transformed into a mantis shrimp while Jacob made an ethereal spear and an ethereal round shield. Jacob charged at the mantis shrimp and thrust his spear at it. However, its exoskeleton was too tough for the spear to even scratch. The mantis shrimp threw a punch and Jacob blocked it with his shield. His shield shattered upon impact and he jumped backwards.

 _The problem is his tough exoskeleton. If only I could get to the chinks of his armour, then I could win. I can't crush him with Big Ben since I have to conserve my energy. Think Jacob!_ he scrambled.

He directed his attention towards the approaching mantis shrimp. It was slow but it was indestructible. Or so it seemed. Jacob believed that it must have some sort of weakness. Or even a chink in its armour. That was when he had a reckless plan forming in his head.

Jacob charged at Daichi and created an ethereal shield. Daichi punched the shield causing it to shatter but Jacob didn't stop. He crawled on the ground and created an ethereal staff. The staff extended and hit the bottom of the mantis shrimp causing it to be turned over.

He saw that the armour below was less tough than the armour above. Jacob created a war hammer. He swung it down but Daichi barely managed to escape by transforming into a dragonfly.

The dragonfly transformed back to Daichi and he had a troubled look on his face. That expression didn't escape Jacob's watchful eyes.

 _Is he troubled since I outsmarted him and almost got a hit? No. He shouldn't look that bothered because all he needs to do is just be on guard. Then what is bothering him? I don't have enough information!_ Jacob thought.

Daichi was still in his human form as he looked at Jacob. He had to wait for his next move otherwise he would get caught off-guard again. Thinking of it as a chance, Jacob ran towards Daichi with an ethereal war hammer on hand. Daichi turned into a crab and used its claw to block Jacob's swing. Its other claw then thrust at Jacob but he created a shield just in time to defend himself.

The crab was tougher than the mantis shrimp and so Jacob couldn't do much. Daichi was now cautious so he couldn't use the same trick twice. So that meant that he had no choice but to use another trick.

Jacob slammed the hammer at the crab's armour and it retaliated with an attack. The ethereal shield blocked it and Jacob attacked at the same spot again. He repeated on attacking at the same spot while defending from the crab's attack until he saw the desired result: a small crack. Jacob jumped up and made a two-handed hammer. He swung it at full-force against the same spot he had been hitting and the armour broke.

Daichi returned to his human form and he grovelled on the ground. Just when Jacob was about to smash him, he transformed into a dragonfly and put some distance between them.

 _That wasn't enough. I doubt he'll allow me to do that again. This is bad. I still haven't got a good grasp of his Quirk,_ Jacob thought.

"I didn't expect that. You did well", Daichi praised him.

"Why thank you.", Jacob replied.

Daichi then transformed into a human-sized bee and flew towards Jacob.

"You've got to be kidding me!", Jacob shouted as he looked at the sharp stinger.

Regular bees hurt. What could large bees do? Jacob didn't want to find out so he summoned an ethereal bow and shot arrows at the bee. It avoided all of the attacks and Jacob ran.

 _What should I do? Okay. Calm down. Panicking won't do anything good. That's right. It's just a bee. I just have to avoid its stinger",_ Jacob thought and faced it.

He summoned a mace and a shield. Then, he ran towards the bee and swung the mace. The bee avoided it and tried to stab him with its stinger but Jacob blocked it with his shield. Unlike the mantis shrimp, the bee's force was weaker so the shield didn't break. Cracks appeared though but Jacob easily repaired it.

Jacob continued blocking the bee's attacks and swinging his mace. He was getting tired as his arms were getting sore. But then, the bee backed away and it transformed back into Daichi.

 _What's going on? Why did he stop? Is he tired? No. He is not even panting. Then why? Why did he return to being human? Is this a trap?_ Jacob thought.

He let his arms rest as his weapons disappear.

 _My arms are sore. Is he giving me a chance to rest? No, he's not that type of person to underestimate. I think. How long have we been fighting? My arms are really sore and I'm tired as hell_ , he continued thinking.

 _Wait… How long… have we been fighting?... If I'm right, it's been about more or less 5 minutes. Time… 5 minutes… Time… Limit…_ , a sudden realization hit Jacob.

He summoned a mace and a shield again and charged at Daichi. Daichi didn't transform into anything as he assumed a fighting stance.

 _I knew it!_

Jacob swung his mace but Daichi dodged it. He slammed his shield against him but Daichi withstood the impact. Daichi grabbed Jacob's arm that was wielding the mace and threw him to the ground. Jacob made his shield disappear and replaced it with a knife. He tried to stab Daichi but Daichi saw it and backed away.

 _If his Quirk is like Saiga's, then there must also be some time before he can use it again. I need to defeat him before he transforms into those annoying insects!_ Jacob thought.

Daichi played defensively and stalled for time as Jacob attacked him. He was actually skilled in avoiding Jacob's attacks. Spears, swords, maces, and even arrows were nothing to him as he dodged all of them. The arrows were dodged through years of training in predictive analysis for evasive manoeuvres.

Jacob was now reaching his limit. His Quirk consumed his stamina every time he creates a weapon. Daichi was strong. Despite his strong Quirk, he trained his body well and he also had good judgment. That made Jacob want to defeat him. Against a strong opponent like Daichi, Jacob would prove to the world that his Quirk wasn't useless.

He made a staff and swung it down. Jacob has been swiftly switching weapons in order to confuse Daichi. He would swing using a sword and at the next second, he would thrust using a spear. A shield would then bash Daichi followed by a hammer hit to his face. Daichi was getting hit by the attacks as he couldn't react in time. He couldn't predict what weapon Jacob would create next so he couldn't defend properly.

A minute and a half had already passed since Daichi couldn't transform. Daichi transformed into a mantis shrimp and punched Jacob's gut. Jacob tried to stand on his feet but he got hit with another one. A final blow hit him and he fell on the ground. Fatigue and pain washed over him as he looked at the mantis shrimp.

Jacob turned over and looked at the blue sky. His muscles ached and he knew full well the outcome of the match.

"You got me. I give up", Jacob said.

"Jacob Wilson gives up! Daichi Hisakawa wins!", Nagusawa announced.

Daichi returned to his human form.

"You managed to drive me to a corner. It's been a tough fight", Daichi told him.

"Same to you", Jacob replied and the infirmary robots took him away.


	38. Chapter 32: Seeing Red

**Outside the U.A. Stadium**

As Kuroi Niriyama walked towards his upcoming match, he saw a figure in a shadowy alcove. She stepped out, and it was none other than Akabayashi Kemochi, his next opponent. She looked very fiercely determined.

"I don't know what this is, but everything can be settled on the battlefield" Kuroi replied flatly, and tried to walk past her, but she blocked his way. "What do you want?" he continued.

"Look. I know you guys must think of us Class B heroes as not as good. I just came to say I'll change that view in this match!" she said seriously.

"Ok. Sure. Move." he replied and walked past her. Akabayashi looked at him, muttering under her breath ominously.

 **U.A Stadium**

"HE'S DESTROYED ALL HIS COMPETITION SO FAR WITH PURE POWER! FROM THE HERO COURSE: KUROI NIRIYAMA!"

"SHE'S A PATRON OF POWER HERSELF, AND YOU DON'T WANNA SEE HER ANGRY! FROM THE HERO COURSE: AKABAYASHI KEMOCHI!"

The competitors stood a good distance from each other. Akabayashi was glaring at Kuroi, who looked on passively.

"START!"

"Frenzy, 20%! Akabayashi immediately shouted, and she was surrounded by red mist, with grown horns. The crowd was shocked. This was already the level at which she had incapacitated Kido. Kuroi remained unfazed.

"This doesn't change what I have to do" he said remaining calm.

One second Akabayashi was at the other side of the arena. The next, she wasn't. Kuroi predicted correctly however, and he looked down to see her punching tentacles he had created in front of his stomach.

"Headstrong, but foolish" he said, grabbing her arm with one tentacle and throwing her across to her starting area.

"OH, SHUT UP! Frenzy, 30%!" she shouted and the red mist around her started crackling with lightning. She tried to zigzag towards Kuroi this time, and he calmly walked slightly forward to stay away from the edge. She started running around him in a circle. Kuroi decided to erect 4 tentacles on his cardinal sides from the ground. This still gave Akabayashi small holes in his defense to slip through, but it was better than nothing, significantly reducing her angles of attack. He heard a loud crash on one of the tentacles, and he sighed. So, it was true. Her intellect was largely reduced in this state.

"This is just sad. What good is power if not combined with a working mind?" he said genuinely. Nevertheless, it was taken as a rude comment all the same.

"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP" YOU WOULD NEVER UNDERSTAND" she screamed, and kept piling into the tentacles. However, at one point, she managed to slip in diagonally. Kuroi saw it but had very little time to react, getting clipped by her first, and the pain was staggering.

 _She barely tagged me…and I'm this overwhelmed!? If I didn't have my guard up, would I have been knocked clean out…_ he though with alarm, but resumed his tactic. Akabayashi kept occasionally slipping through the diagonals, and Kuroi dodged most, but got clipped by the occasional pass. He was starting to feel weak in the arms and knees, and had a light headache. He dropped his arms and looked down.

"GOTCHA" Akabayashi yelled and passed through a diagonal straight to Kuroi. He sidestepped it swiftly, grabbing her as she passed as if it were a martial art and threw her into a tentacle, escaping the walls at the same time. "No, it is I who has predicted this outcome."

It was brutal. She bounced across the walls and ground as if she were a projectile or ping pong ball, and lay on the ground shaking after. The ground was covered in small human sized craters. Akabayashi got up slowly and shakily, but she was covered in bruises and cuts.

"Your strength is also your greatest weakness – specifically momentum." Kuroi explained, but Akabayashi had lost it.

"FRENZY, 40%!" she screeched, and her horns grew larger, and her eyes became completely red. The crowd was hushed and quiet. "YOU DON'T KNOW! YOU DON'T KNOW!" she screamed in pain.

In her past, Akabayashi had been put in a home at a young age, as her parents were scared of her Quirk. Her mother had an Adrenaline Rush Quirk, and her Father had a Pain Resistance Quirk, and it seemed that these combined. However, Akabayashi was prone to fits of anger, and she was deemed unsafe in their household. They had tried to love her, and they just could not.

This had a jarring affect on her psyche. At the orphanage, all the other kids were scared of her, and despite her attempts to make friends, she was shunned. From the age of 5 to 14 she had lived this life. However, when she was 14, a man came to see her.

"I know you're not gonna hurt me….and I see you are hurting. I think people are wrong about you. Painfully so. I think you have the heart and the making of a great Hero. There are just things we need to work on".

That man was a behavioural psychologist, and he had taken her in for a year before her application to U.A. He taught her how to control her emotions, how to act in groups and also personal interactions, and how to be liked. He also showed her the Hero society and all the love they received. She was enamoured. _They'll all like me…. if I save them!_ And from there her path and conviction was set.

Akabayashi was at 40%, and she started losing what psyche she had. She zipped all over the stadium, smashing the ground. Kuroi calmly walked right to the middle of the stadium…and sat down. The crowd gasped.

"You don't want to do this do you? It's a pitiful Quirk really…I can sympathise. But you have to fall, for my success." Kuroi said loudly from the middle of the Stadium. Akabayashi roared and beelined for him from the edge of the Stadium. He wasn't dodging this from his position. The crowd was deathly quiet.

The moment Akabayashi was near Kuroi, she tripped and rolled across the ground as a fast speed. All the way out of bounds, crashing into the concrete walls. Kuroi had a sad but serious look on his face.

He had lain small tentacles like they were footholds all around him. His gambit had paid off. In that form, Akabayashi had not just low intelligence, but also low perception. She was a purely instinct based warrior. This was great for reacting to others or straight out slugfests. But when she had to make the first move, it was easy to counter her effectively.

"…..A-AKABAYASHI IS OUT OF BOUNDS! KUROI NIRIYAMA TAKES THIS ROUND." Present Mic announced, but the crowd was awkward and quiet. It had been a match filled with anger and sadness.

As Akabayashi was approached by medics and lifted onto a stretcher, Kuroi lamented his role. _I wish I could let you achieve your dreams I guess…but I'm not gonna sacrifice my own goals in the process. Not like that fool in the year above._

He was referring to the match between Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shoto from the previous year, which he had seen before he attended U.A.

"Well…no matter. I will win this tournament." He thought fiercely.


	39. Chapter 33: Shadows, Wings and Regret

**U.A Stadium**

"IT'S THE LAST QUARTER-FINAL! THIS MATCH WILL DETERMINE THE TOP 4! FROM THE HERO COURSE, SHE'S DAZZLED THE AUDIENCE WITH HER OBSTACLE COURSE RESULTS! RUNA TENSHI!"

"ALSO, FROM THE HERO COURSE! HE IS NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED AS SEEN IN HIS MATCHES! PLEASE WELCOME CHRIS MIDNIGHT!"

"Let's have a good mat- "spoke Runa but before she could finish, Chris started running at her.

"Let's get it!" he yelled confidently and extended his shadow towards her while running.

Runa took flight directly upwards, but Chris 's shadow grabbed hers, and she became stuck in flight. She tried beating her wings but it was to no avail.

"You're trapped. I wanna see how you get out of this!" he boasted confidently, and his Shadow pulled Runa's shadow downwards. As a result, Runa plummeted to the ground, but she softened the blow with her wings. Still, it was advantage to Chris. The crowd roared in excitement.

 _He's got a plan then. I need a good one too. Shadow requires light._ Runa looked around as quick as possible. The stadium was out in the open, and the only two objects casting a shadow were the two combatants. She couldn't find an easy way to remove either of their shadows. She could minimise the size of hers through vertical flight, but it wouldn't help with going on the offensive. She needed some other tactic.

"Well?" roared Chris and he used his shadow to throw Runa's shadow to the floor repeatedly. The crowd gasped. She was winded multiple times. There was no way to get out of the Shadow. The best she could do was cushion the blow with her wings.

"How about this!?" he yelled and started throwing her at different angles. Runa had to cushion the blow while predicting the angle of attack. It was a game of chance.

This carried on for two more minutes. Runa's muscles and wings ached. She was getting fatigued. She looked at Chris and he was panting, and caked with sweat. However, he was really covered with it, unnaturally so. This gave Runa pause.

 _That's not natural. He's hardly been exerting himself physically, only using his Shadow!_ But Runa remembered that Quirk's were physical. Perhaps he really was exerting himself. She thought of how sweat worked fundamentally in biology.

 _It's this or nothing!_ She thought, and she fired off a few feathers from her wings. Chris dodged them and laughed.

"Pathetic! Just because I'm displaced, doesn't mean my shadow is. Even if I jump, my shadow will keep hold of you."

Runa fired more feathers, and Chris kept dodging. But he was getting sluggish. Sloppy. He snarled "I guess you think you know my weakness?", and as he spoke that, Runa fired feathers. But these were miniscule. They shouldn't do any real damage upon connection. But when they hit Chris's face. He stopped, and started hyperventilating.

"W-what!?" he started gasping and clutching his neck. Runa smiled.

"Not so good when your sweat pores are plugged is it? I figured using your shadow power makes you sweat a lot. Well if I plug those pores, you'll be in real trouble. Want to keep at it?" she spoke proudly.

"I-I…I!" he yelled, and ran towards Runa. However, he didn't make it very far. He passed out.

"M-MIDNIGHT IS UNCONSCIOUS! HOW TERRIFYING! YOUR WINNER – AN ANGEL WITH DEVILISH INTELLECT! IT'S RUNA TENSHI!

The crowd roared and yelled in admiration, and Runa smiled and waved to them. As Midnight was rolled off in a stretcher unconscious, Runa couldn't help but applaud his tenacity. He wasn't as abrasive as Narruk, but he had a similar energy.

 **U.A Infirmary, Outside**

When Runa exited the infirmary, she saw Nagai Tokuhei waiting for her. He smiled, and held out a soft drink. She accepted it. "Thanks."

"It was a good match. I thought he had you, I'm not going to lie." he responded.

"You thought he had me? My, such casual language coming from you!" she teased.

"Well I-…you know, I'm trying to integrate with everyone..." he fumbled and Runa giggled. She tapped his arm, saying "I'm just pulling your leg, that's another phrase for your learning", but she stopped when she saw Nagai's serious look.

"What's up? I imagine you didn't just come here to congratulate me." she spoke softly.

"Well there's that…. I was just wondering. I truly am impressed with your combat skills. But more so I'm impressed with your confidence. In our match, I got flustered and dropped my composure. So easily. You saw it at the Training Simulations too." He spoke introspectively and Runa listened intently.

"I've always been confident in life. In social interactions, in academics, in sport. In almost everything. But when it really comes down to the wire, I freeze. My biggest goal in life is to be a hero, and I'm quite terrified at the prospect that the most important thing for it – I don't have it- "Runa signalled to him to stop.

"Hey. I'm sorry you feel that way. I guess we all have our circumstances. I'm really sorry, but when I first met you, I thought you were a rich, spoilt and posh student, unaware of the ways of the world. When you flirted with all the girls, I just thought " _Oh man, I bet he's used to just getting what he wants_ ". And I'm sorry I even thought that – I'm only human. But it seems we all have our insecurities."

"I was raised by two loving parents. They always give everything to charity, and they work at a community centre. For free. They both work side jobs to support us, but just barely. And growing up, I got bullied at school for it. The kids said my parents couldn't afford to feed me, but were perfectly happy feeding others. Kids can be cruel. I didn't get on well with them, even as one myself. And I grew disillusioned with helping others. Why do my parents prioritise others? I started asking myself that question."

"Then one day, I was waiting at the community centre for my parents to finish up, and I saw a toddler playing near a large stack of crates. He accidentally bumped into them playing with a toy, and they all started to tumble. It was as if time slowed down for me. Before I knew it, I was running towards him, wings extended, and I took flight and got him out in the nick of time. I'll never forget the look in his mother's eyes. The sheer gratitude. The warm kindness felt suffocating, like a drug. They started calling me the angel of Shibahara, but I didn't want that. Not like that. The whole reason I became a hero was to support my family in the kindness they do, so they can keep doing it. They are not wrong – and they are my parents. That's where I take pride, and why I remain calm and confident. I think you have something holding that part of you back. And you need to deal with it to truly flourish." She turned to Nagai and smiled warmly. "Does that make sense?"

Nagai was beet red. He turned away quickly and just looked down. Runa looked at him worriedly.

"Thank you. I truly mean it. I really want you to do well against Niriyama-kun later." He turned and smiled at her in earnest. It was the first time he'd truly let his guard down since coming to U.A. "Thank you."

It was Runa's turn to go red. "Well that's all fine!" she exclaimed, and regained her composure very quickly. "I'm going to go prepare" she said.

"Yeah. Go show them what's what" he said, to which she responded "Hell yeah!". They both looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

But Runa was worried. _Niriyama-kun…_ she pondered before heading to her next battle.


	40. Chapter 34: Wolf in the Trap

**U.A. Stadium**

"FROM THE HERO COURSE! SHE'S SHOWN THAT WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU ONLY MAKES YOU STRONGER! IT'S AOME OKAMI!"

"ALSO, FROM THE HERO COURSE! HE'S CRUSHED HIS COMPETITION WITH CALCULATED PRECISION! THE CURRENT VALEDICTORIAN AND NUMBER ONE STUDENT OF 1-A! GIVE IT UP FOR DAICHI HISEKAWA!"

The crowd was going wild. Both of these combatants had had great fights throughout. The semi-finals were gonna show a real jump in tense situations.

" _That seems a bit unfair! Ah well, can't let it phase me!"_ thought Aome psyching herself up for the coming battle. However, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of anxiety. She was facing him after all.

Daichi Hisekawa was unfazed. He stood placidly at his end of the arena, but at the ready.

" _He's like the Terminator!" Scary!"_ she thought, but then slapped her cheeks lightly. She had to take this seriously.

"AND…BEGIN"

Aome immediately sprinted forward on all fours and aimed a spinning kick at Daichi's head. Daichi responded by calmly sidestepping and aiming an open palm strike at her exposed stomach, which Aome barely avoided by contorting her body mid-air. She landed successfully and backed up a few metres.

 _He has good instincts and a steady tempo. He doesn't need to rely on his other forms all the time. Damn, he's aa tough customer!_ Aome thought and grinned. This gave Daichi a confused look, and Aome began her plan to disrupt his tempo.

She started mixing up her attacks from spinning kicks to high kicks to roundhouse punches, to straight punches to uppercuts. Daichi successfully blocked or dodged all these, but Aome never fell victim to his counterattacks either. There was a lot of stamina being expended, but not much damage being taken. It seemed a battle of attrition. And Daichi was still in human form.

 _Is he worried about the time limit? I was lucky to be watching that match, I learnt a few limitations!_

Aome took the momentum when she seemed to go for a low sweep but then feinted into a rising kick, Daichi barely dodged but the kick grazed his chin, and even drew a bit of blood. He backed off slowly, and then it was as if the atmosphere changed in the arena. "OK." he spoke calmly, and Aome felt some sweat trickling down the nape of her neck.

Daichi transformed into a human sized bee and zigzagged towards her. He started lunging with his stinger and Aome barely dodged, trying to swipe back at him but he was too evasive. He transformed into a human right in front of her, and calmly stood in front of her as she went in for a desperate punch. Daichi allowed this to graze him as he lunged forward and used the momentum to transform into a mantis shrimp and punching her square in the stomach. The sheer momentum caused her to fly backwards and almost out of the ring. Aome gripped the floor with all her might using her paws. She reflexively coughed up a lot of saliva. That punch had been immensely powerful.

"A shame. I'd wished that to be the decisive blow." Daichi explained.

Aome did not retort but eyed him ferociously. She'd have to use this pain one way or the other. She lunged at him with considerable speed; this was of course the effect of her Quirk. Daichi viewed her suspiciously and once again changed into a human, this time he took the brunt of the punch head on. He even yelled in pain. Aome was completely unhinged by this. _Are you absolutely insane!?"_ The crowd also gasped.

Daichi had an immediately broken nose and blood was streaming out everywhere. But he deftly grabbed her by the throat and choke slammed her to the ground. "THIS. IS MY RESOLVE." His voiced boomed thunderously. And Aome….she was scared. This was fear of the other student in front of her. _This guy is… he trying to kill me!?_ Aome started kicking him in the face hurriedly but he wouldn't budge.

Daichi transformed into a crab, and his pincers both held Aome's neck in place, while also being bought down as a blunt force object, straight onto her head. The crowd started yelling.

"THIS IS TOO MUCH! REF, STOP HIM". The tourney referee looked very disturbed. Present Mic was, for once, at a loss for words. Aome tried resisting but to no avail. Blood started to trickle from her head, and she started to fade from consciousness. She couldn't even speak.

"STOP! THIS MATCH IS OVER" the referee yelled, waving a white flag. It was the first time in the history of the tournament a match had been pre-postponed. Daichi calmly got off of Aome and returned to human form. He showed no sign of mercy.

"D-…DAICHI HISEKAWA WIN" Present Mic yelled with a quavering voice".

But there were no cheers. The entire crowd murmured in dissent as Aome was wheeled of on a stretcher. Daichi turned around and walked out of the other exit. As soon as he was away from prying eyes. He paused at the inner walls. And then collapsed from strain. He started panting heavily, and clutched his own head. "Why…what have I done…"

 **U.A. Stadium – Stadium Entrance Area**

As Daichi headed dup the stairs to the waiting rooms, he was met with another student. Saiga stood there, his whole body shaking. He had a dangerously deranged look in his eye. Daichi expressed visible shock.

"You…bastard." Saiga's lips trembled as he spoke, and he ran forward and grabbed Daichi by the scruff of the collar. Daichi offered no resistance. Saiga got even more annoyed from this and started to heat up. His right arm passively erupted in a blue flame, something which it had never done before. Hisekawa offered no resistance, but calmly spoke.

"You have every right to feel this way. But reconsider this. Being hasty could mean expulsion."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Mitsuji roared and prepared to move his fist down when something stopped him. Niriyama's tentacles were wrapped around Saiga's fist.

"Niriyama!" Saiga was shocked and extinguished his arm. Niriyama's tentacles were black and charred again. "But why…"

"Don't sully your hands with the filth." Niriyama stepped over and put him arm on Saiga's shoulder non-threateningly. "I've got this." Saiga looked shocked but then took a deep breath. "Okay." He couldn't have another incident like in his childhood.

Saiga walked away, muttering "stupid, stupid, idiot" to himself. Daichi narrowed his eyes and viewed Niriyama. Niriyama retorted "I guess you're showing your true colours now. I can't wait to beat some sense into you."

"This level of violence was never my intention. If you can believe me I actually was looking for the least painful way to break her." Daichi responded.

"Break her…you are far gone, wild boar. I'll put an end to all this."

"We shall see…I swear on my pride that this was not my intention. Everything wil be revealed when we clash."

"Save your stupid fucking words. Wait for me in the finals". Niriyama growled, and walked off in a foul mood.

Daichi stared after him, the looked down morosely when he had disappeared from view.

 _Poor girl…_ he mused introspectively.


	41. Chapter 35: Aome Okami - Origin

**U.A. Infirmiary**

Aome awoke to a painful sensation filled with fatigue. She looked over and saw Recovery Girl crowded over her. "Goodness…again? I swear you give even that Midoriya a run for most reckless student…for heaven's sake…" Recovery work fell silent for a while.

She then spoke "There was no serious damage. Well, you'll have a light concussion; I can't speak to what that boy was thinking with that level of blunt force trauma. You really, really need to take care of your health.

"Yeah…I understand ma'am" Aome said wearily. Recovery Girl's expression softened upon hearing this. "I'll be outside if you need anything dear." And Recovery Girl left.

Aome tried to remember all that had happened. Parts of it were fuzzy. She remembered the beginning, She remembered punching Daichi square in the face, and him grabbing her neck. Everything after that was fragmented. She felt powerless. _Some people are just beyond reach huh? Well at least for now!_

Aome was simply not the type of person to stay in low spirits. She heard a knock on the door. "U-uh…Okami-san?". She recognised Mitsuji Saiga's milquetoast persona immediately. "Hey Mitsuji, you can come in!".

Mitsuji heard and walked in. Aome's head was covered in bandages but other than that she looked alright, as well as she could be in this state. Mitsuji felt a wave of anger rising but suppressed it.

"That Daichi…how could he…" Mitsuji trailed off. Aome stared at him then smiled kindly.

"Come sit down. Do you want an apple? I hate these things anyway." She beckoned to him and Mitsuji complied.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. But then Aome spoke. "It sucks what happened. But Daichi-kun didn't want to hurt me…I think".

This made Mitsuji start. "How could you think that? He was, way too out of line!" he burst out, but once again fell into silence.

"Hmmm. Thanks, Mitsuji. I appreciate that you feel that way. But I can't let a little setback knock me back."

"A little setback? W-wow…. you're so full of confidence. I'm not though…." And he once more trailed off.

"Oh? I think with enough motivation you could be. But I guess you could say I've always kinda been this way. Hehe." Aome smiled proudly. "Well, it can't hurt to tell you…" and Aome began to speak on her past.

She grew up being raised by her single mother Midome alongside her younger sister Kime, as their father had abandoned them while her mother was pregnant with her sister. She grew up wanting to be a hero so she trained herself in order to be stronger. She wanted to be there for others, as she knew what it could mean without such support.

About less than a year before the entrance exam, her sister was taken hostage by a villain who had been running from Mirko, the No.5 Rabbit Pro Hero. Aome saw her sister in the villain's hands and immediately ran at them. The villain tried using his bomb quirk on her to try and blow her up. But Aome leapt from the flames and punched him in the face, sending an unconscious and flying body down the road.

She didn't even notice how much stronger she was after the explosion and held her crying sister in her arms. She was reprimanded afterward for going and attacking a villain, but as it was her sister; and only the villain was hurt she was left off with a warning.

A week later she was confronted by Mirko at her house. The hero said she admired the way she didn't hesitate and jumped in to save someone. She even offered to give her a recommendation into U.A. But Aome turned it down saying she wanted to get in like everyone else did. So, she went and took the exam and passed. Her family was so excited for her. She was going to be a hero.

Mitsuji was inspired by the story. _I need to get to this level of determination too!_ The conversation was cut short by an announcement. "IN THE OTHER CORNER…" The next match was starting.

 **U.A. Stadium**

The match had begun. Niriyama stood in the centre with his tentacles curling, while Runa circled from the sky. Niriyama stood stoically. At the beginning of the match he had spoken once. "I will make that bastard pay. The only way I know how…" and then he had assumed a stance.

 _Niriyama-kun…_ Tenshi had worried but she couldn't feel for him. She also had a stake in this tournament. She'd made it this far.

Tenshi launched feathers from different angles but Niriyama deftly swatted them away with his tentacles. Runa switched tactics and started dive bombing at high speeds, which Niriyama dodged with spring action from his tentacles. He tried to get in shots by lashing them but Runa managed to evade. Niriyama started running in the opposite direction to her, and Runa paused for a second. She then decided to pursue.

Runa dove and descended diagonally towards Niriyama, but he suddenly leapt into the air with a powerful squat jump; using four tentacles for extra propulsion. Suddenly he was above her, Runa didn't have much time to dodge. Niriyama flipped forward, and bought his tentacles crashing down, the top 2 landed and whacked Runa to the ground. She was covered in many bruises, and slowly got up as Niriyama carefully made his landing a few meters away. Runa got into a defensive stance with her wings in front of her. The battle had truly begun…


	42. Chapter 36: Motivations

**The battle continues…**

Niriyama aimed with his tentacles at Runa while she was on the ground. The first one hit her as she was grounded, and she coughed up a bit off blood.

 _NOT GOOD!_ Tenshi took flight as soon as possible, aiming to get as much distance between herself and Kuroi, and she flew straight upwards. Niriyama stayed patiently on the ground, and Runa took this opportunity to throw some feathers from her wings. Niriyama deftly swatted away these projectiles. It was no good. He couldn't harm her but she also couldn't harm him.

 _I have to get close!_ Runa divebombed again, but this time from straight above Niriyama. "Foolish…" he muttered and squat jumped directly upwards with spring action. But this time, Runa deftly moved sideways in the air, grabbed a tentacle with her arms and spun around, throwing Niriyama directly back downwards.

"Gahhhhh!" he sputtered as he plummeted, hitting the ground, cracks forming on the surface. He got up slowly, covered in his own bruises. _"Pretty sure my spleen is shattered…shit!"_. He had underestimated Runa. But this was the last time he'd do so.

Tenshi had dealt good damage in that last altercation. But she was starting to run out of ideas. Kuroi wouldn't fall for that again. Tenshi started hovering just outside of Niriyama's tentacle range. Niriyama tested throwing a tentacle out, and she grabbed it, pinning him in place.

 _Why you!_ He thought furiously, and started lashing his other tentacles out, she flew around dodging them while dragging Kuroi around with the held tentacle.

"DAMN YOU!" he yelled and used his strength to pull backwards, bringing Runa along with the tentacle. Runa was not in a good position. Kuroi used the other tentacles to hit her, but she held on. She was covered in bruises. "A good fight, but nevertheless!" he spoke and he brought the held tentacle down. He pinned Runa with the other tentacles with efficiency.

"Submit." He spoke calmly. Runa sighed. This was unfortunately over. "I submit." Runa spoke plainly.

"RUNA TENSHI HAS FORFEITED. NIRIYAMA KUROI MOVES TO THE FINALS AGAINST HISAKAWA DAICHI!". The crowd applauded. It was a much better show of sportsmanship than the other semi-final.

Runa sighed and brushed the dirt off her shoulders. Kuroi walked up to her and held out his hand. Runa was surprised. "Just take it" he growled.

"Hah! Not with that attitude I won't!" she jested and Niriyama withdrew his hand moodily. "Hey Niriyama-kun…. beat Daichi-kun. We can't let that display slide."

"That's the plan." He nodded curtly and walked out of the stadium.

 **U.A Stadium Athlete's Waiting Room**

Daichi Hisakawa readied himself for the fight to come. He had heard Present Mic's magnanimous voice signalling Kuroi's win. _Of course, it is him._

He was looking at a newspaper article from 10 years ago. "The Supreme Court of Japan vs Tekizawa" it read. It was a Court Case regarding a child kidnapper. Daichi looked at it fiercely. Then ran to the neighbouring bathroom. He vomited in the toilet, and promptly flushed it away.

 _People have to pay. If there is no justice, I will create it._

He steeled himself for the final battle.


	43. Chapter 37: Niriyama vs Hisakawa

**U.A Stadium**

"IN THE RED CORNER! HE'S TAKEN OUT HIS OPPONENTS WITH RUTHLESS PRAGMATISM! BUT THERE'S A KIND SOUL POKING OUT OF THE CORNERS! NIRIYAMA KUROI FROM THE HERO COURSE!"

"ALSO FROM THE HERO COURSE! HE'S TAKEN OUT HIS OPPONENTS WITH DEADLY PRECISION. BUT THERE IS SOME PASSION COMING FROM WITHIN! DAICHI HISEKAWA!"

The crowd cheered Kuroi and booed Daichi. But Kuroi couldn't help but feel annoyed at that announcement. "What's with the narrative? This isn't a movie." Kuroi directly looked at Present Mic. Present Mic just ignored him.

Kuroi decided to focus his attention on Daichi instead. As usual, he was standing stoically and silently in his corner; unflinching. Kuroi laughed maliciously. _Bastard…after what you've done? I might make this painful._

"READY? GO!" signalled Present Mic, and Kuroi started walking slowly towards Daichi. Daichi observed him and assumed a fighting stance cautiously.

Kuroi stopped about five meters from Daichi and then burrowed a tentacle into the ground. It could come up anywhere. Daichi held his breath instinctively and waited for any sort of stimulus. Surprisingly, the tentacle came up directly in front of him. Daichi held a cross arm block and jumped slightly backwards. He wanted to block the attack, but at the same time he didn't want to give Kuroi too much momentum to work with. Kuroi just laughed.

"You asshole." Daichi heard a noise behind him. He managed to twist his neck backwards to see another tentacle from the ground, and he had absolutely no time to block it. He just about managed to transform into a crab, and the tentacle hit the edge of the shell area. It hurt but it was a lot less impactful than if he had been in human form. Then the front tentacle swung. It bashed Daichi right in the head area, but again most of the force was absorbed by the carapace-like shell. But Kuroi had achieved his target; Daichi was unsettled.

Daichi transformed back into human form as he hit the ground. His shell had already taken significant damage from the pincer attack. As he quickly recovered, he understood. _I see. He made use of my lack of depth perception to burrow two tentacles, one directly behind the other. I was so focussed on the area around me, I wasn't looking near him anyway._

Kuroi was annoyed. That probably wouldn't work again. He then ran directly up to Daichi. Daichi turned into a mantis shrimp, and threw a punch. Kuroi tried to deflect with a tentacle, but the shrimp punch knocked past, so Kuroi backed off. The punch had more force than his tentacle; that was useful knowledge.

Kuroi went in for another exchange, and purposefully baited an exposed left side. Daichi took the bait and aimed a sharp jab at Kuroi's left stomach. This time Kuroi wrapped a left tentacle around the incoming jab, and pulled Daichi towards him. With a right tentacle, he wrapped his own fist, and aimed an uppercut as Daichi was pulled towards him. There was a cracking sound as blood came out of Daichi's nose. The punch had effect even on mantis shrimp form. Daichi staggered backwards, reverting to human form. He had a broken jaw. Kuroi spat on the ground in his direction antagonistically. But Daichi held his ground calmly.

"OK" he spoke, and the tension in the area changed instantly. It was like the match with Aome. "Finally showing your true colours?" Kuroi taunted. Daichi did not respond, but transformed into a giant centipede and scurried towards Kuroi in a zig zag formation. Kuroi tried lashing out with his tentacles, but Daichi scuttled onto the tentacles and around them. Daichi got close to Kuroi very quickly. Kuroi tried to attack with his tentacles again, but Daichi constricted him, wrapping around Kuroi. He started constricting. Kuroi tried to use his tentacles to push outwards, but he wasn't gaining any momentum. Daichi didn't speak and constricted further. Kuroi felt as if his body would burst; the pain was immense.

"You bastard!" he spat and started punching Daichi's head with a tentacle wrapped arm. Daichi wasn't responding to blunt force, and the first of Kuroi's ribs cracked. He yelled in pain, and the arena was filled with tension. Another rib cracked shortly after, and his breathing became ragged. He had a look in his eyes, and he wrapped his arm in a tentacle once more, but this time it had a sharp end. With a yell he drove it into Daichi's compound eyes. Daichi now yelled in pain and backed off. He reverted to human form and his right eye was bleeding, and shut.

Daichi had a broken jaw and a mauled eye, and Kuroi had two broken ribs. The battle was starting to take its toll. Daichi gritted his teeth silently then transformed into a giant scorpion. Kuroi merely spit blood on the ground. "Come at me!" he yelled.

Daichi lunged forward, lunging with his stinger when in range. Kuroi deftly manoeuvred around the stinger, but his tentacles couldn't pierce the shell. He was frustrated as hell. "Damn you!" he roared and jumped forward and upwards with spring action; about 20 metres. Daichi aimed his stinger, and it managed to pierce Kuroi's skin as he was airborne. Kuroi gasped and then yelled out in agony, but he had a crazed look in his eyes. With all his tentacles, he grasped the stinger, and then yelled in bloodcurdling pain as he fell backwards and let the cantilever do its work. The strain on Kuroi was so much that another two ribs that were fractured were broken. But at the same time, the sheer level of momentum behind his fall lifted Daichi into the air by his stinger, about 10 metres. _The bigger they are, the harder they fall!_ Thought Kuroi. But he was barely on the verge of consciousness, running on pure adrenaline.

Daichi was flipped upside down, and was prone as a scorpion, he didn't even have time to transform. _If I turn into a bee, or ant or dragonfly…can I fly away in time?_ His body was somewhat paralysed by the shock of the stinger throw, so a flying insect may not have been helpful. However, an ant had more air resistance, so he transformed into one, but he still had to absorb the impact. He didn't take any serious damage but was winded.

Meanwhile Kuroi was writhing in pain. He slowly got to his feet, as did Daichi, reverting to human form. _His-forms sharing damage is…usef…_. Kuroi was borderline delirious, struggling to stand on the spot. Daichi was covered in cuts and bruises now, and his eye was covered in blood now and puffy. His jaw was still broken and oddly placed.

The tournament organiser looked at Present Mic hesitantly. This match was also getting quite brutal. It may have been necessary to postpone this match, even though it was the final. Daichi started running towards Kuroi in human form, but he had lost his cool demeanour. He looked angry and yelled "Who are you to judge my efforts!?" He had lost all semblance of sanity, or strategy. Kuroi was struggling to even raise his guard.

 _Shit shit shit!_ Kuroi had to get his arms up, but he couldn't. Daichi was getting closer, and his arm transformed into a mantis shrimp pincer. The rest of him remained human. The crowd gasped, and even he looked visibly surprised, but pressed on. _He can do that!?_ Kuroi thought, and almost slipped to the ground. He looked up with manic expression. _I gotta do this…. if I don't stop this idiot here, I get a feeling I'll regret it._

Kuroi started walking forward feebly. Daichi was almost upon him, and he yelled aiming his right pincer. Kuroi was about to take it head on. But then Kuroi slipped. The punch whistled past his ear, cutting it but keeping him alive. With all his might. He covered his right arm in a tentacle, and yelled while aiming a right uppercut at Daichi's exposed jaw. It connected and Kuroi felt mushy cartilage and fat instead of bone. Daichi made no sound, but immediately fell and was silent. Kuroi was barely standing.

"WE NEED A FIELD MEDIC" yelled the tourney supervisor and a stretcher was wheeled onto the arena. Daichi's unconscious body was lifted and promptly wheeled away. It seems punching his broken jaw had pushed the bone and cartilage upwards, and the sheer pain from such an act had made him pass out.

"Y-YOUR CHAMPION IS…KUROI NIRIYAMA!" Present Mic yelled. The crowd was initially silent…but then raised their voices in cheer and clapped. It had been a violent match…but somehow, it felt like an important one; for everyone involved.

Kuroi couldn't even raise his arms…he sank into unconsciousness and fell himself.


	44. Chapter 38: The Aftermath: Hero Names!

**U.A Infirmary, Waiting Area, Afternoon**

All of 1-A were waiting outside the infirmary after that gruesome battle. Everyone except Daichi and Kuroi of course, who were busy recovering. Their wounds had been so serious that it would take a whole 24 hours for recovery, even with Recovery Girl's abilities. The rest of the class were in heated discussion about the events of the last few days.

"I gotta say, I didn't expect Kuroi to have that intensity in him!" exclaimed Aome. She was still covered in bandages, but she was back to her cheerful self. "Kinda makes my opinion of him higher you know?".

"Yeah! Kuroi is just misunderstood!" Mitsuji agreed proudly. He too had really come to see him in a different light in the last few days.

"Ridiculous. It's crazy how much your opinion of him has changed over like, three actions. Would you suddenly think I'm the nicest guy ever if I did one good thing? It takes more than that to balance karma idiots" said Narruk, with a cocky scowl.

"Oh don't worry Narruk! I'll always be kinda disappointed with you." Aome fired back sarcastically, and Kai Hikari couldn't help but snigger, but quickly recovered. Suzumi Midoriya looked at Narruk worryingly in response, but he just snarled and kept quiet.

"N-now…there's nothing good that can come from us bickering too!" Kokoro Nanami spoke calmly, and then continuing with "We can't just praise Kuroi. Regardless of his actions, Daichi too fought hard, and is in even worse condition. Isn't that right Tokuhei-kun?"

"H-huh? Yeah…." Nagai's voice petered off. He had been deep in thought throughout most of the recent days. He wasn't himself. Runa noticed this and touched his arm lightly, giving a reassuring smile.

Arakawa Juene, who had been mostly silent, spoke softly "Are you two like, a thing now? Sure, feels like it."

"W-what? I don't know how you mean" Runa said defensively and at this Nagai laughed out loud. "N-Nagai-kun? Seriously?" she spoke uncomfortably to which Nagai composed himself, saying "I know. My bad. No Arakawa-kun, we are not." He seemed considerably back to his usual self.

 _Uh. That wasn't convincing at all!_ Everyone else thought. But they didn't have time to think too hard. Matthew Kidder, their homeroom teacher showed up.

"Look kids, I know you're worried for these two. But trust me, tomorrow is a big day, and you all should probably get back to the dorm and prepare for it. Don't make me get out my minigun! HAHA!" He roared enthusiastically, flashing a machine gun.

"Uh, sensei, that's just…distasteful…" Nagai sighed, and they all started to pile out into the dorms, in anticipation of what could be happening the next day.

 **U.A, 1-A Classroom, Afternoon (The Next Day)**

Everyone was at their seats. Morning classes had proceeded as usual. At lunchtime, Daichi and Kuroi had walked into the classroom in silence. They sat down silently, and neither had interacted with the class from then on. Just then, Ms Midnight entered the classroom, with a bunch of whiteboards and marker pens. Matthew Kidder began to distribute them and the class got very curious.

"Well kids, I'm sure you're wondering why the whiteboards. Today we're doing one of the most important things in a hero's lifetime. Hero names! When you're saving a life, or protecting from a nasty villain, these names can give you a unique identity, and be a beacon of hope for civilians to chant or rally to in the darkest of times. I want you all to come up with some very carefully, and then we'll present. Let's get to it!"

"This is so exciting! Suzumi-chan, what are you gonna choose?" Aome asked inquisitively.

"Well I'm still thinking…Hmmmm" Midoriya pondered. Everyone else was in deep thought. Mitsuji was racking his brains. _Tri-power? Gah no. Volcano Thunder? That is just dumb. Element…Element Man? What am I, a video game boss? This is hopeless._ He noticed Kuroi watching him.

"E-eep! Uh, I mean what's up Kuroi kun?!" he shrieked.

"Uh….so annoying…" Kuroi grumbled, but then continued with "I think I have a cool name for you."

"Oh! Really? What is it?" Mitsuji asked, curious and pleasantly surprised.

"How about Calamity? You strike fear in your opponents' hearts with your mastery of elements. If natural disasters exist, well you're a manufactured disaster."

"Uh…thanks?" Mitsuji was unsure whether this was an insult or not. "Anyway, it's cool, but doesn't that sound like a villain name?" Kuroi shrugged. "It's your image, your choice." And then turned to focus on his own ideas.

Before long, Midnight started to call people up to the front. Mitsuji went first. He nervously stammered "C-calamity?" almost as if it was a question. The name was received well.

"Sounds epic man!" Purorakudo Gemu exclaimed. "I agree, very cool." Drake Smith nodded. Mitsuji glanced over at Kuroi, and could almost see a faint smug look on his face. But then he scoffed, and looked away.

One by one, the class went in turn with their hero names. In order, Kai, Narruk, Suzumi, Aome and Kokoro and Arakawa chose the names: Illuminator, Alpha, Gurren Kai, Adalwolfa, Cantatrice and Omni.

Jacob, Runa, Kuroi, Tang, Erude, Watabe and Drake chose: Leonhardt, Valkryie, Bloodstorm, Seaspray, Kinetic, Cool Artist and Shade.

Purorakudo, Tsubaki, Shiroi and Nozomi chose: Program, Reflex, Mist and Transfer. Nagai Tokuhei couldn't think of anything, but settled for Air Walker. Finally, it was Daichi's turn. The feeling in the room was a bit awkward, after everything that had went down. He stood silently, and then quietly wrote down "Ronin". He then didn't even bother going back to his seat. "I need some air." He spoke curtly and walked out of the classroom. It was as if a bomb had just been defused, and the bomb was tension.

"W-well…just so you all know, these aren't final. If you want to change your names, we can accommodate that. But you need placeholders for what's happening next, and that would be hero internships…"

 **U.A. Front Entrance, Late Afternoon**

Daichi was sitting on the steps to the front entrance. A couple of teachers had approached him, but he had lied and said he was being picked up early due to being ill. _Never mind the fact that we live in dorms now…I guess they don't actually care that much huh? I guess teachers have their facades to maintain too._

His train of thought was interrupted by a car pulling into the parking lot. A tall, well built man stepped out and approached the front entrance of the school. He had white neat cut hair, and a brown tattered suit on.

Daichi viewed him with a modicum of vulnerability. "Dad…"

The man smiled warmly, and sat down next to Daichi. "Your homeroom teacher notified me you skipped class. Let's talk kid" he spoke gently.

 **To be continued…**


	45. Chapter 39: Internships Announced!

**U.A. Building Front Entrance, Steps**

"How are your studies going Daichi?" his father enquired politely. Daichi merely grunted at first but then replied "Good. I'm consistently in the top 3 academically. In terms of battles, I'm basically the top 2. I have good standing with…" he stopped himself. That last bit wasn't true; after what he'd done to Aome, he didn't really have good standing with anyone.

"You know that's not what I meant kid. Really – how are you?" Daichi's father said gently, with welcoming body language. If one were to observe, they could tell this was a loving relationship.

"I…I lost control Dad. I thought I could keep my feelings, my ideals, in check. But I made a fool of myself. I endangered people who had nothing to do with my struggles in the process. I…I'm not sure I should be around others. What about…what about the private tutoring you mentioned?" he looked placidly as if he was grasping for straws.

His father simply sighed. "We talked about this…for your rehabilitation, you need to be re-exposed to society, and that means getting along with you fellow classmates. As a hero, teamwork would be essential, and you need to develop those skills." He paused, and then looked visibility guilty.

"All of this is my fault anyway…I'm meant to be in a position of power and responsibility, and yet I couldn't stop what was happening right under my nose…I, well failed yo-". He was immediately cut off by his son.

"No! It wasn't you fault. It was that sick bastard. And me? I was too weak to do a damn thing."

"You were 8 kid. Don't try and take on anything unrealistic. Those kidnappings were horrible, and the cover up was corruption incarnate. I'm the damn government official, and even I couldn't expose anything. You're the one who's been affected. You have absolutely nothing to apologise for. You hear me?" He turned and placed his hands firmly on Daichi's shoulders. "Nothing."

Tears started to well in Daichi's eyes, but he turned and composed himself briefly. "I…I'll work on my teamwork. But still…I know what right and wrong is. What it means to me. And I will never let myself, or anyone feel that vulnerable again. I swear it on my name."

"Okay kid. If that's what you want, I'll support your decisions. Now, what do we say you pick yourself up and get back to class?" he smiled warmly.

They embraced and Daichi headed back to class. His father watched him leave with concern, then turned and headed back to the car park to depart.

 **One week later, U.A. 1-A Classroom**

Time had passed, and Matthew Kidder, the homeroom teacher of 1-A had taken in all the internship applications from the previous weeks and discussed with various companies. He had now received feedback and decisions from the various companies. And now he was going to present these decisions.

Everyone looked visibly nervous. Matthew noticed this.

"Hey HEY! Don't be nervous!" he yelled enthusiastically which just made people more nervous. "We know how scary it can be going into the wide world… or well, Japan, and working with real heroes. What with the recent rise in villain activity and the fall of All Might, we're taking no chances. That's right kiddos – you're interning in pairs!"

"Huh!?" everyone was visibly shocked. Many were relieved.

"That's right kids! You'll have another student watching your back, as well as your mentors. And most of them are top heroes this year! On that topic, I'll announce the pairs!" He shuffled some papers.

" _W-wait! This is too sudden! I'm not emotionally prepared!"_ Mitsuji internally roared, but Matthew was continuing.

"Daichi Hisakawa and Kuroi Niriyama. You'll be working with Best Jeanist."

"WHAT!?" was the unified response. Putting those two together was questionable. Neither of the two seemed to react to the news, although Kuroi had a scowl on his face.

"Aome Okami and Narruk Mondronen. You two are with Mirko". Both seemed pleased with the prospect, but it was another pointedly questionable decision.

"Kai Hikari and Kokoro Nanami. You two are with…Shield Hero Crust." Both nodded at each other politely. Crust was known to be a bit…eccentric. They'd have to work together with synergy. Suzumi looked a bit dejected, but wiped the emotion from her face quickly.

"Suzumi Midoriya and Jacob Wilson. Congratulations! You're with Endeavour!". Everyone was shocked. Suzumi and Jacob especially, but they both smiled and welcomed the opportunity. Kai gave Suzumi a warm smile, which she returned.

"Runa Tenshi and Erude Rikaga. You two are with Hawks! Try not to get uh, too annoyed." Runa was happy about someone with similar abilities, but both her and Erude were a bit anxious. They'd heard things about Hawks and his work ethic.

"Mitsuji Saiga and Nagai Tokuhei. You two are with Edgeshot. He's stern, so work hard." Mitsuji was anxious. "S-stern! Oh no!". But Nagai looked his way reassuringly, which made Mitsuji feel a bit happier about being paired with the Class President.

"Tsubaki Kamiya and Arakawa Juene. You two are with Kamui Woods!"

"Tang Izumi and Drake Smith. You two are with Yoroi Musha. He's quiet, so listen to him intently."

"Watabe Kiyonaga and Nozomi Kido. You're both with Dragoon Hero Ryukyu!" Nozomi squealed in excitement, and Watabe was as sunny as ever.

"Last but not least, Purorakudo Gemu and Shiroi Kiri. You two are with Gang Orca. Good luck!" They both flinched at the sound of his name, and steeled themselves for the experience of a lifetime.

All the top agencies had two student interns. But the class had no idea just how much their lives would be turned upside down in this time. Mitsuji clenched his fists with resolve. Nagai had a glazed look on his face.

" _Finally…this is perfect. Edgeshot's agency is pretty close to Father's company. It's now or never._ " He steeled himself for what he was about to do.


	46. Chapter 40: Edgeshot

**Saiga Residence, 7:00 pm**

"Mitsuji, do you have everything you need for your internship tomorrow? Forms, outfit…oh don't forget your water bottle!". Mitsuji's mother was in an unusually fussy mood.

"Y-yeah mom, I'll be fine!" Mitsuji replied with low energy. He was truly nervous about working with Edgeshot. The man was as cool as he was intimidating. _I guess it could have been worse…like Endeavour._ Mitsuji almost wished he got someone like Hawks. Hawks wouldn't expect much from him. He tried to push any negative thoughts out of his head.

"I packed a water bottle for Tokuhei-kun too. He's your Class President, right? Good for you."

"Mum seriously, I don't think he'll want that."

"Nonsense. Anyway, remember to sleep nice and early."

It was super weird. The woman who hated that her husband and daughter were risking their lives every day, and that her son was joining them. That same woman was showing such support for him. When she had been so distant after realising, he wanted to follow in the family footsteps.

Mitsuji couldn't help but notice these things as he headed to his bedroom. _Mom…_ he thought, but soon fell asleep for the new day.

 **Fuku-sho station entrance, 10 minutes walk from Edgeshot Hero Agency, 08:30 am**

As Mitsuji made it off the platform, he saw Nagai Tokuhei waiting for him by the barriers. Nagai saw him and waved from a distance.

"S-sorry I'm late!" Mitsuji said and suddenly bowed.

"Hey! It's ok man! Ease up" Nagai said which gave Mitsuji further shock. _So…informal…_

Nagai noticed his look. "Yeah so…Runa has been teaching me well….for lack of a better term, more casual language. How am I doing?"

"R-really good man!" Mitsuji replied, slightly calmer now.

Nagai smiled at him. "That's good then. Now…shall we be off?" he spoke to which Mitsuji accepted.

Light rain peppered the ground and a light breeze permeated the city streets. As they walked towards the agency, Mitsuji could swear he saw Nagai tense up a bit. _Could he actually be nervous too?_ he wondered.

"T-tokuhei-kun…are you nervous?" he asked timidly.

"Nervous huh? I guess you could say that." He responded. He didn't seem nervous.

It didn't seem right to probe further, so they started practicing how they would introduce themselves to Edgeshot. They soon reached their destination. Too soon for Mitsuji's lliking.

 **Edgeshot Hero Agency, Fuku-sho**

The two students arrived at a reception, and a receptionist took their details asked them to wait in a sofa area. As they waited, Nagai spoke in a low voice to Mitsuji.

"Listen Saiga-kun…there is another reason I'm here other than this internship…" but he was cut off by the arrival of Edgeshot. The man's aura filled a room simply through presence. The receptionist stood and bowed deeply. Edgeshot responded with a curt nod. Mitsuji and Nagai jumped out of their seats and bowed deeply. Edgeshot simply chuckled.

"At ease soldiers. You aren't in the workforce just yet." They both looked up surprised.

"What? You thought I was cold to everyone…even kids?" he spoke slowly.

"Ahhhh! N-no sir. Our apologies." Mitsuji blurted out. Edgeshot looked at him with amusement.

"Well anyway. Let's get started. Both of you, we're going to my office." And both followed in an instance.

"I was very impressed with your performance at the tournament Saiga." Edgeshot spoke casually. Mitsuji's heart soared. "R-really sir? But I lost in the first round!"

"Yes you did. But you showed voracity. That's the kind of attitude we need here." He spoke, before looking at Nagai and then continued walking.

Nagai stiffened up a bit, but held his tongue. Mitsuji felt bad for him. _We lost in the same round…that's unfair._

"There will be no holding back in your time here. I need people committed to what we do. Is that clear?" he said sharply, looking directly into Nagai's eye. Mitsuji froze up. Nagai met Edgeshot's gaze.

"I…understand. I'll give it my all" Nagai said with determination. They stared at each other, then Edgeshot nodded. "That's all I ask" he spoke and turned to continue walking.

Mitsuji felt like he's just witnessed a full-scale battle. _Was Tokuhei-kun holding back in the tournament_ he thought confusedly.

As they reached the office, Mitsuji wondered just what they would be getting into…


	47. Chapter 41: The Mission

Edgeshot strode into his office; with Mitsuji and Nagai following shortly behind him. The two boys looked around – this office was very regal. The floor was made of a brown wood, and there was a maroon luxury carpet covering most of the wood. The carpet had gold patterns of dragons curving and arching along the middle length, and the edges were gold frayed. On the dark blue walls hung many samurai swords, kunai, ceremonial tanto, and the back wall had a large flat screen monitor for surveillance and report monitoring. It looked both professional and snazzy.

Mitsuji and Nagai stood patiently in front of the desk, as Edgeshot walked to the side, also declining to sit. Without much warning, he switched the monitor on remotely, and a map of the local area appeared, with spots marked with various colour-coded dots.

"Let's get straight to it – what we're investigating is a breakout. A mental asylum only 2 miles south of this district was breached by what we believe to be the League of Villains. This happened about two months ago. I say believe, as we have very little evidence. These guys were professional, wiping any security footage of the encounter and generally making use of tinted windowed vehicles or blind spots. They also knocked out any guards encountered with tranquilisers. There are no material witnesses that have a clear idea of the perpetrators. When patient records were checked, only certain patients were missing. The patients that were taken are all highly volatile with volatile Quirks. We believe that if this is the League, then they are amassing an army of powered thugs to do their bidding."

"Our first priority – Patrol the hotspots of activity due to citizen call-ins or security footage of these escaped patients. Our goal is to contain, and your help is vital. Although you by law cannot use your Quirk in unauthorised situations, I will need you on the field as my backup. I am authorising this, as I believe experience on the field is vital; we cannot wait for our students to be coddled. I have already sent through all the paperwork to the relevant departments."

"Our second priority – gather intel on whatever group has commanded this breach of security, and apprehend them with the required personnel. Any questions?"

Mitsuji was gaping and frantically racking his brain. "Y-you just dropped…a lot of information on us right there! I think I need a minute…or two. Maybe f-five…". His mind was racing, and he tried to think rationally.

Nagai processed the information presented to him and responded "I believe I understand. However, I must agree this is quite abrupt. You're going to entrust…us? You just met us a few minutes ago, and this seems like a large-scale op for two interns. I trust your judgement sir, but I'd be lying if I wasn't cautious."

Edgeshot eyed the two off them keenly. "Caution is good, don't throw it to the wind. But think of this as a test in its own way. How can you rise to the occasion I have presented to you? If I think you can't handle something, then I'll ensure you don't have to. You have my word."

Nagai seemed pleased with this response, but Mitsuji was still a barrel of nerves. _Something this responsible as our first task!? I want to go home…_

However, he held his tongue and just nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Let us not waste anymore time and hit the streets for a patrol." Edgeshot commanded and made his way to the door. The two students followed earnestly, unaware of how bizarre their day was about to become.

 **Fuku-sho Shopping District**

"Oh my…those kids…don't tell me they're pro-Heroes?" A middle-aged woman asked worriedly as she passed by.

Mitsuji gave an awkward chuckle. _I'm in danger._ Nagai politely smiled at the woman in response, then directed his gaze forward. They had been following Edgeshot on his patrol for the last 15 minutes which had been pretty uneventful. _I wonder how everyone else's internships are going?_ Mitsuji pondered innocently, then shook his head rigorously and tried to focus on the present.

Edgeshot suddenly stopped and the two boys bumped into him. "This is where one of the patients was last spotted…in front of this family mart. He supposedly was staring at the sign for a good three hours."

"Here? B-but I don't see anyone…" Mitsuji broke off as he heard a scream from inside the convenience store. Edgeshot put an arm barring the two students and spoke calmly. "Stay behind me." He slowly walked inside the store, to see a man in a Red V Turtleneck sweater, and tattered jeans. He was barefoot, with his face wrapped in a scarf. But what was most alarming was there was a chain emerging from his sleeve and currently wrapped around the store clerks' neck. She was trying to yell but it came out muffled and distorted. Edgeshot slowly edged forward and calmly said "Easy there man. I know who you are. And I need you to come with me peacefully. There are other Heroes posted outside. You are outnumbered. Please think about your safety and disengage."

The man didn't even turn to look at Edgeshot, instead pointing his thumb past him saying in a monotone voice "That's what he's here for". Edgeshot's eyes widened in realisation. "Boys!" he yelled but another chain darted towards him from the perpetrator's clothing, which he dodged with his Quirk, Fold-a-body. He couldn't escape to warn the students.

At the same time, outside a man in bulky samurai gear jumped off the roof of the building, and quickly unsheathed his sword, upon which a shockwave boomed towards Nagai and Mitsuji. Nagai quickly used Air Swim to grab Mitsuji and lift him out of harm's way. Mitsuji didn't even react.

"W-what!" he yelled and braced himself. The two landed safely and faced this new combatant with fear. They had for better or worse, started their internship.


	48. Chapter 42: The Samurai and The Ripper

Mitsuji was still processing everything that had just happened. He heard Nagai quickly elbow him and say "Get it together!". Mitsuji shook himself into focus and looked at the aggressor.

The man was wearing a grand fur coat and a samurai helmet. He had on military slacks and large steel toed boots. He had a lean and muscular body, and two katana holstered to his waist, one of which was currently unsheathed. It seems he had used this blade as a conduit for his Quirk.

"Some kind of…air-based Quirk…. kinda like you Tokuhei-kun!" Mitsuji commented, but Nagai just eyed the enemy warily. The man also eyed them warily, but then he spoke.

"Children…alas, this is the way of the world. Circumstance insists you become hardened warriors…. yes! This is the samurai way!" he murmured in an almost proud tone. He then sheathed his blade and unsheathed it very swiftly, creating a horizontal shockwave. Mitsuji was awake this time and, grabbing Nagai, ducked to the floor while creating an earth wall to block the air shockwave. The shockwave blasted clean through the wall, and Mitsuji and Nagai both covered their heads to protect themselves.

"Shit! It blasted clean through!" Mitsuji stuttered in a high state of panic. Earth wasn't going to do it. Nagai looked at Mitsuji for a brief second, then swam into the air. "I'll distract him!" he yelled at Mitsuji, and then dove towards the escaped patient. The samurai sidestepped the divebomb, and aimed a downward slash towards where Nagai had ended up, near the Family Mart wall. Nagai managed to kick off the wall and shoot under the swipe, although the Family Mart wall was heavily damaged as a result.

"We've got to get him away from this place! Or take him down quickly!" Nagai beckoned to Mitsuji. Mitsuji nodded and charged himself up with electricity. _1…2….3_

He sprinted towards the convict, crackling with energy. The convict saw this and let off a horizontal swipe, jumping over it simultaneously. Mitsuji also jumped over the swipe, but the other man's boots clearly had some hydraulic technology, His jump was unnaturally high and he landed on the other side of the street. Clearly, the boys had managed to get him away from the family mart, which was a good thing.

Meanwhile, inside the mart itself, Edgeshot was using his Quirk to dodge the other escapee's chains. " _I've got to make him let go of the hostage!"_ he thought, trying to rack his brain for an idea. Edgeshot used a red strand to try and pierce the villain. The villain dodged slightly to the side away from the hostage, but kept his grip on her. Edgeshot pounced on this opportunity.

"Strand Slingshot!" he yelled and the rest of his body snapped to where he had aimed with elastic momentum. He then delivered a swift punch to the aggressor, causing him to jump back a few feet. The man had to let the hostage go, and she fell to the counter, gasping for breath.

"Ma'am. Take any customers to the back of the shop please. Don't go outside either." Edgeshot commanded with a quiet air of authority. The woman nodded fearfully and proceeded to find a safe place. The perpetrator roared with fury.

"ASSHOLE! You're really fucking with my plans here. Do you know how hard it is to find fresh meat? It SPOILS if you leave them for too long. Past twenty-five…. why they're not even ripe anymore! You need to be taught a lesson!" he screeched and stared at Edgeshot vehemently. Edgeshot started to sweat unnaturally. The Ripper's Quirk was taking effect; Fear Gaze.

"Now bastard, what makes you shit your pants?" he cackled with delight.

Both men saw Edgeshot's fears; All For One, laughing maniacally at the battle of Kamino Ward. It then cut to Mitsuji and Nagai lying in a pool of their own blood. All because Edge had thought it a good idea to make them fight. Edgeshot started quivering and dropped to the floor. The villain laughed and unsheathed a military grade combat knife to go in for the kill. Then something unexpected happened.

Edgeshot released a red strand of string and stabbed himself in the brain. "Auto-pilot." He yelled and then instantly went unconscious. His body moved on its own, standing up and then another red strand emerged from his body. The Ripper panicked.

"Did you j-just…. lobotomise yourself!?" he yelled and backed off instinctually. However, the red strand shot out into the Ripper, jumbling around his internal organs while keeping them intact. He passed out, dropping his knife. Edgeshot then came to a few seconds later, the red strand from his brain having returned to another part of his body. He didn't remember the last 15 seconds, but he saw his opponent was knocked out. He sighed. " _I need to get to those boys now!"_.

Back outside, the other escapee was fighting the students. Nagai was using Air Swim and splashing the man with projectiles, while the man either dodged or swiped back to deflect them. "Mitsuji! Fire!" Nagai yelled and Mitsuji drew out a breath. _"1…2….3"_

Mitsuji let out a torrent of red fire, which the enemy started swiping at with his katana. The shockwave managed to push it back briefly, but the torrent continued to push back, so the man was effectively pinned down. Nagai took this opportunity to swim behind the man, and then pushed off the wall on this side of the street, jetting towards the man from behind. The man realised too late; Nagai took him down and swiftly pinned his arms behind his back, kicking the katana out of his hand. He was out of commission. Mitsuji's knees buckled in relief and he sat down. The man started to struggle. He looked up at Nagai.

"Y-you! Are you punishing me? You look just like that man! Are you going to punish me the same way!?" he yelled frantically. Nagai stiffened up at these words. Mitsuji was about to ask what this meant, but then Nagai calmly released one of his arms, then used his Quirk to sharply knock out the enemy to the back of the head. This was unrestrained and left a crack in the ground.

Mitsuji was shocked. He was about to say something in protest but Nagai gave him a pleading look of silence. Just at that moment Edgeshot came out of the family mart with the other villain bound. The hostages also exited, praising Edgeshot as well as the boys. Mitsuji nervously bowed to the various civilians, while Nagai just stood over the villain dazed. Edgeshot walked over.

"He's unconscious?" he asked quizzically to Nagai. Nagai responded swiftly. "He was about to attack Mitsuji-kun…I had no choice." Edgeshot nodded and called the police. "Let's not take any chances with these two. Good job guys." He then walked off.

Mitsuji had overhead this. " _He lied…. what is Nagai-kun hiding?_ " He wondered. The sound of sirens approached from a distance. The boys had a long internship ahead of them.


	49. Chapter 43: Best Jeanist Agency

The two boys answered some questions from the police down at the station. Both of their minds were elsewhere though. Mitsuji was still pondering what Nagai was hiding; was he somehow personally invested in this whole mental escapee incident? Mitsuji couldn't think of any reason how the two could be linked.

When they exited the station, they were greeted by Edgeshot. "Both men have been detained in Tartarus due to their volatile Quirks. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to the prison for interrogation. Come to the agency and I will drive you there. Dismissed." Edgeshot spoke. Both boys bowed. Edgeshot smiled wryly. "You did good kids. You did good." He then departed. Nagai and Mitsuji both decided to head to the nearby train station to go home. On the train, they sat in silence. Mitsuji was the one to break the silence.

"N-Nagai-kun…is everything alright?" he spoke timidly. Nagai snapped out of a daze, then looked at Mitsuji and smiled. "I'm…fine. Look I know I lost control back then. Clearly, I have some stuff to work on. But trust me, there's nothing to it! We should just focus on tomorrow. Make sure you get some rest okay?". It was perhaps the most manufactured response he'd ever given, but Mitsuji decided not to press the matter today. They both waved and departed their separate ways at the station. " _Something is definitely up with him!"_ he resolved, planning how to sort this issue out.

 **Meanwhile, in the Okayama Prefecture…**

Daichi Hisekawa and Kuroi Niriyama were not getting on well. As they were walking to the Best Jeanist Agency, the heavy rain only served to enrage Kuroi.

"This bullshit weather is almost as bullshit as your attitude damnit" he kicked a pebble while exclaiming, and a young couple with an umbrella looked at him shocked.

"…The fuck you looking at idiots?" he growled and they walked on quickly.

Daichi sighed. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he spoke and just walked faster.

"Huh? Shit-for-brains, like you're one to talk! If I'm a clown you're the whole circus." Kuroi spoke off-handedly.

"I'm not going to stoop to your level fool. Just keep quiet." Daichi said.

"Huhhhh!?" Kuroi spoke intimidatingly. Daichi just started to ignore him for the rest of the walk.

They arrived at the Best Jeanist Agency shortly after, and sheltered themselves from the rain promptly. At the reception, Best Jeanist greeted them. "Hello young heroes. I am Best Jeanist, the No.3 Hero, and I pride myself on that, as well as my fashion sense. Did you know I won the Best Jeanist award for the last 9 years now? Yes…. you see fashion and heroism are linked at the core…"

He was cut off by Kuroi. "What…the hell are you even talking about?". Not missing a beat, Best Jeanist wound some threads around Kuroi's arm. "What the hell man!?" he yelled.

"Quiet. I hate impertinent brats like you the most. Part of the reason I accepted you was to try and fix this attitude of yours. We're sparring. Now." he snarled and released Kuroi. Kuroi grinned. "Works for me." They started towards the training area. Daichi was already tired. _"God give me strength…"_.

Kuroi and Best Jeanist faced each other a few metres apart. Kuroi released four tentacles and stared at Jeanist. Best Jeanist wound some fibre up in retaliation. Daichi was refereeing.

"Okay…begin or whatever" he mumbled, and immediately Kuroi ran towards Best Jeanist. The Pro Hero shot some thread which wound itself round one of Niriyama's tentacles. Niriyama abruptly stopped, then pulled Best Jeanist towards him with the tentacle. The two tentacles on his other side intertwined into a spear and he shot them towards the incoming Best Jeanist. "Predictable!".

Niriyama pierced his opponent right in the stomach. Or at least this is what appeared to have happened. Instead, he had pierced some fibre reinforcing Best Jeanist' stomach. The fibre contracted around the tentacles. Kuroi tried to pull them out but they were lodged in there. "FUCK" he yelled, and then Best Jeanist wound his fist in threads like a weight, deftly hook punching Niriyama. He blacked out instantly.

Kuroi came to with an ice pack on his head as well as a wet towel. He felt dizzy and got up from the sofa he was on, to see he was in Best Jeanist' meeting room. Daichi and Best Jeanist were sat looking at a monitor, and noticed him.

"Good. You're awake. Come sit down here." Best Jeanist indicated towards a chair beside him. Kuroi muttered under his breath but complied.

"Right. Here's our objective; There's been a case of serial arson attacks within this prefecture. We at first believed it to be this man." Best Jeanist removed a picture off a gaunt faced man with dark blue hair. "He calls himself Dabi – and he's a high-ranking member of the League off Villains. But these attacks aren't consistent with his Modus Operandi; or rather, Dabi was indiscriminately attacking small gangs to remove their presence from the streets. This attacker is targeting influential politicians. Furthermore, the scorch marks and body composition aren't consistent with Dabi's flames. We believe this is a new villain, but also a very dangerous one." Both students were listening intently.

Best Jeanist continued "We don't know if this is also a League of Villains member. But we can't rule out the possibility. All CCTV footage has been wiped of any attack spot. However, we had a scout provide some recent intel that points to an Abandoned Warehouse in the nearby area. Our mission is to scope this area out. It is highly unlikely that the aggressor will still be here, but it is best to use caution. I believe this will be good experience for you; at the same time, I chose you two because your attitudes caught my attention." He motioned towards Daichi. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. While not the same as Niriyama-kun, there's also some worrying things I've noticed from the tournament about you." Daichi didn't respond but stayed focussed on Best Jeanist.

"All right. We'll depart in an hour after lunch. Please prepare accordingly. You are dismissed." Best Jeanist commanded, ushering the students out of his office. Both boys steeled themselves for the mission.

"Niriyama. We're going to have to work together effectively…" Daichi started. "I know! I know…" Kuroi spoke quite calmly, but then fell silent. It was clear some issues would need to be worked out.


	50. Chapter 44: Phoenix vs UA Students

**Abandoned Warehouse, Okayama Prefecture, 15:30**

Best Jeanist and his interns proceeded carefully through the abandoned warehouse. Best Jeanist had driven them here, and his car was parked outside. The entranceway and surrounding rooms had been mostly empty, with some cobwebs scattered around, as well as the general layer of dust. As they stepped into the next main hall, Best Jeanist began to speak.

"Odd…I suppose we shouldn't have expected some big breakthrough anyway. This guy seems to relocate quickly. Okay, the room splits off into two rooms here. How about you two check that room over there on the left? I'll take the one on the right. Remember; please have each other's' backs. Your teamwork will be vital here."

Both students nodded and proceeded to the left room. Meanwhile Best Jeanist walked cautiously into the room on the right. This large, expansive room had lots of medical equipment; there was no dust on these, suggesting recent use. As Best Jeanist moved forward, he came across a large monitor. It was divided into about 16 camera feeds, showing various locations around the Chugoku region as well as one in Central Tokyo. Jeanist recognised a few of these locations as attack sites.

"Such a large-scale surveillance op…this is professionally done." He muttered, but then a clattering sound behind him made him spin around. He heard what seemed like screeching metal on the floor. Then slowly, a large black mech appeared from the shadows. Connected to it was a ghoulish, emaciated woman with sunken eyes and bruises and cuts all over her, hooked up to the mech with various tubes. The sight alone was devastating.

"Y-you're, n-not supposed t-to be here!" she wailed nervously, and started to approach him aggressively. Best Jeanist readied some thread, and shouted "Students! I need your assistance!". Daichi and Kuroi heard the shout, but as they turned around to assist him, their path was blocked off by purple flickering flames. Slowly, a teenager emerged from the flames, walking through them with seemingly no damage. The boy didn't seem that much older than the students, and walked towards them menacingly and silently, his arms wreathed in purple fire. Kuroi gritted his teeth. "Shit…We gotta deal with this guy first then.". He let out two tentacles, to keep some in reserve as a wild card. He then assumed a battle stance. Daichi transformed into a large mantis shrimp, and did the same. "We need to formulate a strategy. Any ideas?".

"No. We need to stall for now to think." Kuroi replied and Daichi nodded in agreement. Arguing wasn't going to get them past this one. The other guy didn't speak. He decided to test the boys by shooting flames from his arms at both of them. Kuroi used the tentacles as a spring and jumped upwards out of the way. Daichi turned into a small wasp and flew to the left, then transformed back into a mantis shrimp. From the air, Kuroi launched one of his tentacles at the aggressor. The aggressor deftly sidestepped to his left and in the same motion grabbed the tentacle with his left hand on fire. Kuroi winced as the tentacle was locally scorched, and yanked the tentacle back as he descended to the ground. Daichi lunged forward with confidence to close the distance. The menacing teenager shot fire from both hands at Daichi. His carapace heated up and started to crack almost immediately.

" _His flames are stronger than Saiga's!"_ Daichi thought and ducked under the flame stream while reverting to human form. He couldn't rely on defensive tactics at all, which was not good as he relied heavily on baiting his opponents and punishing their resulting mistakes. He was only a few feet from the aggressor, and he deftly transformed into a giant bee, launching stinger first into the aggressor and piercing their arm when used to block the incoming attack. The aggressor wreathed his arm in purple flames, and Daichi's stinger broke off while he flew back. He winced at the pain, but it was alright. Bees were designed to break off their stingers. Unlike bees though, he wouldn't die as a result. However he could not use his bee form for a long while now.

Given the size of the giant bee, the pain from the stinger should have been exponentially increased, but the teenager didn't even flinch. He calmly grabbed the stinger with his left hand wreathed in flame, completely disintegrating it. He then pushed his same palm onto the wounded skin, and a faint hissing sound occurred with steam rising from the wound. When he removed his palm, only a red patch of skin was left, with no sign of injury past that.

"Oi oi….this guy is crazy!" Kuroi growled, and Daichi nodded in agreement while backing slowly towards his starting position in human form. " _He can't be much older than us…what a strange villain"_ Daichi mused. Single attacks wouldn't cut it. They'd have to overwhelm him with teamwork.

"I know what you're thinking" Kuroi exclaimed, and Daichi smiled in response. "Like it or not, we'll have to bear with each other" Daichi sarcastically replied, and he started running towards the enemy, while Kuroi sent two tentacles on either side of Daichi towards the enemy. The enemy wreathed a desk near him in flames, then pulled his weight and the desk flew towards Daichi. One of Kuroi's tentacles quickly swatted it aside. _"The bastard can use telekinesis? What is this Quirk?"_ Kuroi thought, impressed. The enemy then shot a flame stream at Daichi, but both of Kuroi's tentacles protected Daichi. They started scorching and Kuroi winced but bore the pain. As Daichi reached within melee range, the aggressor shot a fire stream at him but he slid under it, as this happened, the two tentacles reached the enemy and he quickly used both hands wreathed in fire to push them to the sides. At the same time, suddenly he saw Kuroi in the sky approaching him. Kuroi had hidden his other two tentacles as a trump card, launching himself into the sky with spring action while the enemy's line of sight was blocked with everything else happening.

One approaching from above, one from below, Daichi aimed a jumping punch in Mantis shrimp form with extreme speed. The enemy almost dodged but part of the attack grazed his chin and drew blood. At the same time, Kuroi descended from above with his arms wreathed in his tentacles for added impact. The enemy couldn't move in this position, he was already off balance. Suddenly the enemy wreathed his entire body in flame and uttered a guttural growl, right as Kuroi was landing his attack. The enemy was hit by one punch, but Kuroi's tentacles started melting. He screamed in pain, springing off of the enemy back a few metres. Daichi was only near the flames, but his carapace started overheating again and he also backed off to where Kuroi had landed. The man was wreathed in flames completely, in the form of a phoenix. He seemed even stronger than before. The boys were already tiring out after this brief skirmish which had lasted no more than three minutes. They were at a great disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Best Jeanist was evading attacks from the woman in the Mech. She had propulsion thrusters attached to her suit and she was zipping around the cluttered room, breaking everything. Jeanist was swinging around using fibres as grapple threads, while also laying various tripwires around the floor. Every time she tripped on one, she fell and wailed in agony. Best Jeanist quickly and deftly tied fibre around the mech's legs, causing them to buckle and the woman to collapse.

"You don't seem like a fighter…who are you?" Best Jeanist enquired calmly, and approaching her.

"G-GET, AWAY FROM MEEEEE!" the woman screamed and suddenly a bright flash of light emanated from her suit. Jeanist's eyes widened and he used a wire he had set up previously to bungee jump away from her with a high velocity. A miniature explosion occurred, which set her free from her bindings. The light from the blast was blinding and Jeanist couldn't help but look away. About 10 seconds later, the area came to view, and the woman was long gone.

" _How the hell did she escape in a big mech!?"_ he mused, but there were more pressing matters. "Students! Where are you, please respond!" he called out loud.

Back in the other room, the older teenager slowly turned around and walked back through the flames outside of the room. Jeanist ran into the main area and saw the kid. "You! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, which the enemy ignored and kept walking towards the entrance. Jeanist launched fibres as the enemy but his phoenix flame cover just disintegrated them at touch. The enemy ran away quickly. Jeanist wanted to pursue but the interns were his first priority.

"You kids alright?" he spoke with concern heading into the other room. "My tentacles are melting" Kuroi winced in pain. Daichi was less harmed but still visibly shaken. They were no match for the enemy.

"If that fight had progressed, we may not have left here alive." Daichi spoke shakily.

Best Jeanist looked at them with pity. "You did well. Let's get you both to a safe place." Daichi nodded while Kuroi just struggled to not yell in pain. One thing that was sure was this wasn't the work of Dabi. Either the League of Villains had more expert Quirk Users, or this was another organisation. Either way…

"We have a lot to discuss." Best Jeanist spoke seriously. The internship was heating up.


	51. Chapter 45: Endeavour Agency

**Fuku-sho station entrance, 10 minutes' walk from Edgeshot Hero Agency, 06:30 am**

Mitsuji couldn't sleep all night. He thought about how involved his first day of the internship was, and what was already at stake. His mind kept racking itself on ways he should've and could've ended the fight sooner. He remembered that he hadn't even realised he was being attacked.

" _Nagai-kun saved me back there…I'm indebted to him. I need to be stronger and smarter, so he doesn't have to protect me and can worry about himself!"_

Mitsuji's self-critical nature was perhaps unnecessarily harsh at times, but it often helped him strive to work even harder like it was now. With much protest from his mother, he got ready to leave at 6 am, 2 hours before he had to. He had to clear his head and walk.

When he arrived at Fuku-sho station, before he walked from the platform to the barriers, he saw Nagai Tokuhei towards the entrance of the station. He thought to call out to him, but something stopped Mitsuji. Nagai looked worried and focused, twiddling with his fingers and struggling to keep still. It reminded Mitsuji of himself 90% of the time. Mitsuji decided to stay out of sight for now, and not too long after, a man in a pinstriped suit with neatly cut short black hair walked past him through the barriers, and walked over to Nagai. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, and Mitsuji noticed a tag which read "Tokuhei Industries" affixed to the man's suit pocket.

" _Tokuhei…like Nagai Tokuhei?"_ Mitsuji wasn't one to keep up with daily affairs and news despite being a hero in training. It was something he wanted to work on though, and if he had, he would know that Tokuhei Industries was a business empire that dealt in renewable energies. Clearly the man was an employee there, and it was no mere coincidence that Nagai shared that name. These were all facts that Mitsuji Saiga would piece together soon enough.

Mitsuji decided to slowly walk to the side of the barriers and hide behind the ticket station. He didn't know why he was doing this, but was instinctually doing so. He saw Nagai and the stranger talking for a brief minute, and Nagai had a very serious look on his face. Not too long after, Nagai produced from his wallet a stack of 1000 yen bills, which the other man accepted, after looking around for what might've been security cameras. Mitsuji was floored.

" _W-whaaaa? Is he in debt!? Is he buying drugs!? Is he….s-selling himself?"_ Mitsuji naturally jumped to the worst conclusions and frantically wracked his brain. _"Wait…is he buying the other guy!?"_ Mitsuji tried to shake these thoughts and pay attention.

The man counted the money, nodded, and both him and Nagai briskly left the station. Before he even knew it, Mitsuji was tailing them, hiding behind cover whenever he could. His natural curiosity overrode his sense of fear. The men walked in the opposite direction of the Edgeshot Agency, down main roads, occasionally talking, although the rain and wind made it impossible for Mitsuji to hear what they were saying from his position past muffled noise. His heart was beating like a jackhammer, but he persisted. Eventually, the pair stopped outside a massive high rise building of a main street. The building was very imposing, and "Tokuhei Industries" was emblazoned upon it near the top. Mitsuji started to key in to the fact that Nagai was somehow related to this company. He quickly but quietly hid behind an alleyway that was luckily pretty close to where the men were standing, only a few metres away perhaps. He dared not peek around the corner, but from here he could listen to the rest of their conversation.

"Come on…it's my ass on the line here. You're the CEOs kid but that doesn't give you leverage here."

"And the money I've been paying you isn't due recompense? Come on…you've been so helpful in exposing his sins to me. Why not take it a step further and expose it to the world? You know it's the right, heroic thing to do!"

"Keep your voice down!" There was a brief pause, then the other man sighed, "You're still a kid. You don't know just how bad corporate corruption can get you fired, or way worse. I've been doing okay for now, but the mental strain on me is really bad you know. I'll…still think about it."

"That's all I ask. I am truly grateful for your time." Came the humbled response.

The man chuckled and just said "Well you're definitely his son. You have the charisma, although you need to work on manipulation. Well I'm off to work. See ya kid." And Mitsuji heard footsteps receding past an automatic sliding door. He then heard what seemed like Nagai releasing his breath in short, ragged bursts. Mitsuji's brain was firing on all cylinders after eavesdropping here, but he checked his phone. It was already 07:30 am. It had taken just under an hour to get here because they had been walking so slow, but it was more likely to be a half hour walk. He needed to be at the station before Nagai was. He decided to take some back alleys to prevent running into him.

At 08:30, Mitsuji had timed it so he was walking through the barriers at the station when Nagai arrived at the entrance. Nagai looked caught off-guard at being caught walking **into** the station, but Mitsuji played dumb, and they greeted each other, before heading to the Edgeshot Agency.

" _Nagai-kun…. seriously what is going on here?"_ Mitsuji wondered.

 **Meanwhile, 09:00 am, Endeavour Agency, two hours from Hosu City**

"Ahhhhh you're so cute! So, you have a fire Quirk? Me too! We're gonna get along so well!" Endeavour's sidekick, Burnin was fawning over Suzumi Midoriya, sitting uncomfortably close. Midoriya was somewhat uncomfortable, but smiled and said "Yeah…I look forward to working with you!"

They were in Endeavour's office, while Jacob Wilson was standing near the main table talking to another one of Endeavour's sidekicks, Kido.

"So…. you can alter the trajectory of moving objects? That has some great practical applications for getting around" Jacob mused.

"Ah, thanks man. I saw you at the Sports Festival. I was the one who recommended you to Endeavour. Your Quirk is so versatile, and your combat ability looked almost professional. Do you have prior combat experience?" Kido replied informally.

"Well not exactly, I've just always kind of thought like this. Pragmatically if you will, it used to get me in trouble in social situations but I worked on that aspect of me." Jacob mentioned off-handedly.

"I-I see…" Kido replied not expecting this tangent, but everyone in the room was cut off by the doors opening, and the No. 1 Hero entering. Suzumi and Jacob couldn't help but be mesmerised by the diaspora of flames. They stood up and bowed respectively.

"It's ok. We don't do those formalities here, at ease trainees." He spoke plainly, and the students stood back up. Burnin cackled "They're so shy ahaha! Ah this takes me back!" to which Endeavour sighed.

"Burnin. Don't give the trainees grief. Kido, did she give them grief?" he asked, and Kido raised his eyebrow sarcastically, to which Burnin looked at him with a death stare. The students were surprised at how comfortable the atmosphere was at the agency of the No. 1 Hero. They of course weren't privy to the social and heroic growth of the No. 1, from the person he used to be.

Endeavour walked over to the main desk, and beckoned to everyone to follow. He looked at Suzumi first. "Your cousin worked here briefly. Normally I don't believe in nepotism, but your Quirk and combat prowess speak for themselves. This is why Burnin recommended you to me, and I accepted." Suzumi smiled at Endeavour, and then a bit less so when Burnin looked at her mischeviously. He then turned to Jacob. "You also caught my eye for similar reasons. Your matches in the festival were a joy to watch. Your work ethic is also admirable. Hence why I accepted when Kido put your name forward." Jacob got flustered and stammered "T-thank you" and he nodded towards Kido, who nodded back.

Endeavour straightened his posture and continued. "Now, let's get down to brass tacks. There have been reports of a villain, terrorising civilians in our territory for the last few weeks. Descriptions have all yielded that it is a woman in her early twenties, with long, curly hair. However, that's where witness reports stop being similar. Her hair colour, and more importantly, her Quirk has been reported as multiple different things. We've heard reports of a fire Quirk and a Wind Quirk, and also, she seems to teleport instantly from the location after attacking, suggesting a third Quirk. We may or may not be dealing with multiple Quirks. The only organisation with ties to multiple Quirks, through the villain known as All For One, is the League of Villains. "

He took a short breath, and continued "Furthermore, the criminal has left calling cards as she vanishes, taunting me specifically. I don't know why, but it isn't a stretch to imagine villains having a grudge against me. Maybe I put someone she knows away. I don't know. Either way, I want you both to come and join me in my patrol. Kido, you shall also be joining us. Burnin, I need you to look after the rest of the organisation here. Does everyone copy? Any questions?"

"Awwww, no fun…I want to work with the interns too. But alright Sir, I gotchu." The rest of the room floundered at her casual tone, but Endeavour didn't respond verbally, and just nodded. He turned to Kido, "Kido. Prep the trainees accordingly, and you all meet me at the entrance in a half hour."

"Copy that sir. Come with me guys, let's get you some Endeavour Agency tech!" Kido spoke in a happy tone.

" _I've got to make the best of this opportunity. If Izuku-kun found success here, so will I!"_ thought Suzumi fiercely.

" _I received some praise from the No.1 Hero. But I can't get complacent. I will do as I always have done; work hard and with earnest"_ thought Jacob calmly.

The internship for these two heroes in training had officially begun.


	52. Chapter 46: The Four Devas

**2 miles from Hosu City, Endeavour Agency territory**

"I want us to split up and try and gather Intel. Kido, take Midoriya; your Quirk's will work well together. Wilson, you're with me. We'll take the Northern part of the territory; you both go South. Understood?" Endeavour commanded respectfully.

"Got it!" Everyone responded. Suzumi and Jacob had been outfitted with a super lightweight alloy belt, courtesy of the Endeavour Agency. It contained a grappling hook, a comms button linked to small earpieces in their ears, and a pouch with basic first aid like bandages, stitch needles and threads and disinfectant and alcohol sprays. Kido and Suzumi headed off, talking about tactics in battle. This left Endeavour and Jacob.

"Well, let's be off." Endeavour spoke curtly and Jacob nodded in agreement. While they gathered intel from civilians and police booths, they got to talking. "Kido mentioned to me your conversation at the agency…about social etiquette. I…can relate." Endeavour spoke.

Jacob was taken aback – he wasn't expecting such a conversation. "Well…that's intriguing. You see I found it pretty hard to make friends when I was a kid. I've always spoken somewhat formally from how I was raised. My grandfather was a historian and a soldier, and I was very close to him. My parents are college lecturers of philosophy and psychology respectively. You can see how that may have informed my development." Jacob paused before continuing.

"I could only produce a white-ish blue light for my Quirk, even in all of elementary school. I didn't really attract attention, and so became more of an observant wallflower. I'm not shy, but it's hard to form connections when the other party isn't even giving you a chance. I wasn't conventionally bullied, just ignored. I'm not sure what's worse. Both my parents love me, but they believed I should pursue something more logical to my skillset like being a civil servant. I was pretty much ready to give up on any prospects of being a hero. But my grandfather insisted on training me. It was gruelling, both physically and mentally, learning how to tune my strength, stamina, reflexes and how to use melee weapons. We were trying to get in through hard work despite my Quirk being a dud. However, one day, that bluish light produced a sword. And then it could produce other things too. My grandfather proposed the hero name Leonhardt, based off a Hero from a century ago, and I loved it. I wear it proudly now, having been accepted into U.A." he concluded.

"I see. You have a good support structure; cherish that" Endeavour replied with kind intent. As they continued to walk, they soon heard a scream coming from close by, and quickly ran to the location. An elderly woman with a cane was on the floor quivering. In front of her, were two women. The women looked like identical clones, with pale skin and curly long hair. However, one had black hair and eyes, while the other had blue hair and eyes.

"Ma'am. Get back please." Endeavour stepped out in front of the elderly woman, while Jacob helped her to her feet and back into the crowd. Endeavour stared the identical women down.

"Is it you? You two have been causing mayhem here?" he glared quietly.

"That's right bitch. What of it?" The black haired one snarled.

"C-come on sis…there's no point to any of this…" the blue haired one interjected moodily. Endeavour wasn't here to waste time. He quickly surmised none of the civilians close by could be hurt, then released a jet of flames from his arm. The blue haired woman jumped in front of her ally and created a barrier of water, which was enough to extinguish Endeavour's flames.

"Water? That's a new one. And strong enough to extinguish my flame? Well I was holding back. Now you get the real deal. "G-go away!" the blue one shrieked and started running towards an alleyway. "What!?" Endeavour was taken aback, then looked at Jacob. The look in Jacob's eye was resolute.

"Go. I'll handle the other one here." He spoke with gravitas. Endeavour quickly yelled "I'll hold you to it" and rushed off after the blue villain with fire thrusters from his feet. The black-haired villain smirked at this development.

"You? You're a brat. You gonna save these civilians? I'm gonna laugh." She suddenly shot some fire to Jacob's left, to some civilians behind him. Jacob summoned a heat resistant shield, and jumped to his left, his shield absorbed the blast, but melted very quickly after.

" _That's some strong fire! The other opponent doused the No.1's flames too…What is all this?"_ he mused, then focussed his attention back on his own opponent. She swore, then pulled a shortsword out of a belt behind her back. Jacob was taken aback. "Isn't fire just, better?" he asked quizzically.

"Shut the fuck up!" she spat venomously and lunged at him closing the distance. He summoned his own sword and it clashed with hers. The crowd gasped. The woman grinned. "Great! A crowd." She tried to swipe horizontally at Jacob, but he parried with the hilt of his sword, trapping her own. He then twisted in such a manner that she was disarmed.

"Your grasp of swordplay is tenuous at best. As someone who trained with martial weapons my whole life, I can tell." The crowd cheered, and Jacob not missing the opportunity, grabbed the villain and pinned her down. "FUCK YOU!" she spat. Then; she vanished completely. It wasn't that she had turned invisible, she was just gone. _"This must be that teleport ability from the intel. So, they have multiple Quirks after all? How odd…"_ Jacob thought. The crowd cheered him. "What's your name young man?" A salaryman asked him.

Jacob turned to him and smiled. "You can call me Leonhardt, the martial hero!" he declared proudly. Some high school girls started recording him and taking pictures of him. It would seem social media would have a new hero-in-training to talk about. Jacob was more worried about Endeavour, Kido and Suzumi.

 **South Territory**

Kido and Midoriya were gathering intel in their own section, when two women approached them. They were identical with pale skin and long, curly hair. However, one had blonde hair and eyes, and the other purple hair and eyes.

"Oh. Em. Gee. Kido right!? I'm a big fan!" The blond one said, playing with her hair and smiling mischievously. "R-right. Yeah I'm Endeavour's sidekick…I didn't realise I had any fans." Kido said nonchalantly, but anyone could notice he was slightly flustered. The purple haired woman stayed a metre away and looked a bit wary of Kido and Suzumi. Suzumi tried to flash a smile her way, but the woman just clammed up and looked at the floor.

"Ignore my sister, she's a bit antisocial, or just kinda scared of people." The sister shot a glare but then quickly looked away from the group. "But anyway…I dig your look. When do you get off work? I know a nice, intimate bar we can get to know each other better!" the blonde woman spoke confidently, brushing Kido's hand with her own, and placing another on his shoulder. Everyone else in the group was highly uncomfortable, including Kido. "Well...we work pretty long hours…" he said back politely, but then, almost instantaneously, there was a stab wound where the woman had placed her hand on Kido's shoulder, and he glanced towards a knife in his shoulder. The blood was spreading little by little, and he tried to lash out in pain, but both women jumped back. Suzumi yelled "Kido-senpai!" but there was no time to patch him up. They had to focus on their enemies.

The blonde woman laughed mischievously. "So cute! You should have seen the look on your face! I'm still interested by the way" she said and winked at Kido. _"Crazy…"_ he thought.

"I didn't see that knife. Did you Midoriya-kun?" he asked.

"No. I think she has some kind of misdirection Quirk." She replied and Kido nodded in agreement.

"We have to be on the lookout." He replied again, and the woman pulled out a bow and arrow. She haphazardly aimed at his heart and shot. At the same time, Suzumi breathed out some fire towards the purple woman. Kido used his Quirk, Trajectory, to alter the path of the arrow upwards when it got near him, but the purple women shot a gust of wind which dispelled Suzumi's fire, and caused the arrow to pierce Kido in the side of his torso on the same side of the shoulder. It was the other Quirk their intel had gathered. Kido gasped but remained steadfast.

"They co-ordinate well! Which means so must we" He spoke to Midoriya who nodded in agreement. The purple woman pulled out a shortsword from a utility belt behind her back and assumed a defensive stance. Suzumi breathed some fire at both women, but they both dodged to the left. Kido then quickly used his mummy wrappings to alter the trajectory, and both women were caught by the full blast. Their weapons melted and they were knocked out instantly. Suzumi quickly apprehended the two, while Kido tended to his wounds using his first aid kit. However, the two women suddenly vanished as quickly as they arrived, puzzling both heroes.

 **North Territory**

Endeavour was in pursuit of the blue woman, and he very quickly caught her up, and pinned her down. "Why won't you use your Quirk?" he interrogated.

"We can only use them once per spawn…" she said in a depressed fashion.

"Per…spawn?" the reply came. The woman then vanished, leaving no traces. Not long after, Jacob, Suzumi and Kido relayed over comms their similar experiences.

"Endeavour! Hey! I got some useful info!" came a cheery infectious voice over the comms. Endeavour scowled "Burnin. You're supposed to be running the agency."

"I am! I've located the enemy. I've been tracking where all four of you got attacked, and cross-referenced those point inwards towards a central location. If we logically assume that with such powerful powers, there could be some range limit, the enemy is on this rooftop" she said sending location data to Endeavour. He asked everyone to remain on standby, and rushed to the disclosed location.

He found a woman with pink curly hair sitting near a wall, covered in cold sweat and glaring at him. "What is your name?" he asked intimidatingly. She sighed, throwing her hands up "Akamya…Akamya Nakusone"

Akamya Nakusone! Quirk: Four Devas! She can create four clones which represent her and each has its own personality and power. Anger is fire, sad is water, happy is light, fear is wind. These clones are colour co-ordinated respectively.

Weakness: She can only use her quirk once every ten minutes and when she uses it, she becomes completely immobile which makes her easy to defeat if you can find her. Each clone can use its power once before disappearing. If it suffers enough damage or if Akamya is defeated while immobile then they disappear.

"What an odd Quirk…are you affiliated with the League of Villains?" Endeavour questioned.

"Whatever. I'm so tired of this all…you remember the Meta-Liberation Army? I was with them. Until that ashy haired bastard killed Re-Destro and all his Lieutenants."

"Tomura Shigaraki?" Endeavour interjected but Akamya ignored him. "Us lower members had a choice. Join them or die. I used to just have a fire Quirk…like you. Some creepy old perv experimented on me, and you've seen the result. Whatever, I'm done with this life" she smiled weakly.

"Wait. If you have useful information, we could use your help. You'd be safe, witness protection. I guarantee it. Don't speak about discarding your life so easily." He tried to speak gently. She just laughed.

"Oh please, don't give me that idealistic crap. They'll find me. You should worry about your own affairs. We have a mole in that prestigious crapsack school. And it's no teacher..." she leaned in and whispered "it's a student." Endeavour didn't have time to digest this. A gun shot thundered, and Akamya's brains were splattered on the wall. She fell sideways, immediately dead.

"NO!" Endeavour roared in fury, looking around frantically at other rooftops. But he saw nothing. He tried to control his emotions, and relayed information to everyone on comms. These developments were immense.

 **Elsewhere…**

Jasper Kench released his breath in an alleyway, disposing of a sniper rifle by dismantling it in various trash bags, after wiping all parts of fingerprints.

Name: Jasper Kench. Quirk: Blindspot - As long as he holds his breath, people don't notice him unless he directly interacts with them. Noises he makes are still made but people can't tell where they are coming from. This is good for infiltration, but relies on his lung strength so people can exploit that with the right knowledge.

He dialled a number and a voice on the other end spoke in a raspy tone. "I call you; you don't call me."

"It's done Shigaraki. The loose end is taken care of. See? I'm well worth the money"

"Whatever…I didn't forget your last failure. I'll call if I need you." And there was a click from the other end.

Jasper sighed. "That brat." he chuckled, then walked into the bustling main street, whistling a merry tune.


	53. Interlude 5: A Brief Respite

**Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall**

The students of 1-A had decided to meet-up in the evening after the second day of their internship; although they weren't even halfway through the week, many of them felt overwhelmed already. Kokoro Nanami had suggested Kiyashi Mall, and there was unanimous agreement. Kokoro had been handling much of the social aspects of the class, especially as Nagai Tokuhei had been seemingly ill and stressed out lately. Everyone from 1-A had turned up, excited to discuss their weeks so far.

"Ahhhhhhh! This is way too much work!" Watabe Kiyonaga let out an exasperated sigh, deflating into his chair at the food court. It was rare to see him ever express a pessimistic opinion. "Ryukyu-san is a tough boss. And we've been stopping street thugs stealing from various shops. It's pretty scary." He sank even further and more dramatically into his chair. Nozomi just raised her eyebrows.

"You used your powers on like, two of the criminals. Me and the Boss did 90% of the work. But aren't you getting bold, calling her Ryuyku-san? Maybe I should tell her!" Nozomi Kido playfully elbowed Watabe and he shrieked.

"I-it's Boss and I, Kido-san." Tang Izumi quietly muttered, but remained silent after. Nozomi was slightly annoyed, but moved on quickly.

"So how is your internship going, Izumi-san?" Nozomi politely asked Tang.

"Ok…Yoroi Musha is serious but gentle. Mostly we're dealing with preserving historical sites from politicians and hoodlums alike…we go to Kyoto every day, so half our day is just travel."

"It might not be as glamorous compared to other internships, but we deal with the legislative side of things a lot" Drake Smith interjected. The two were both fairly quiet and observing, so were getting on. Towards the other end of the food court, Narruk was talking Mitsuji Saiga's head off.

"Man, Mirko is frikking awesome. And she's sooooo hot. This is the best internship ever. We spar in the morning and learn hand to hand techniques. Then we go out in the afternoon and bust heads!" He enthusiastically slapped the table. "When I told her, I trained under Bakugou-senpai, you should've seen the look on her face. Man, I am so in there. But hey, your weirdo samurai and serial killer dudes sounded cool too."

Aome just rolled her eyes and sighed. "Wish I got paired with you instead of this nutcase" she said off-handedly to Mitsuji. Saiga went beet-red and focussed on eating his food. Aome looked puzzled, but Narruk soon started a pointless argument with her and the moment passed. Next to Mitsuji, Nagai played with his food absent-mindedly, lost in thought. Runa Tenshi had tried to strike up a conversation with him to little avail. She motioned to Erude Rikaga to join them. Erude read the mood and tried to engage Nagai. "Your internship sounds stressful, Nagai-kun. Hawks basically just reads manga all day. He gets us to patrol, said he's happy he got worker ants. I just hope he actually teaches us before this is all over."

Nagai chuckled, but soon after went back to frowning. "I see…sorry, I feel a bit unwell. Need the restroom." he spoke gracefully, and moved to leave. Runa was about to grab his arm, but decided against it. He didn't even register her attempt. Kokoro Nanami moved over to him and said "I've made sure everyone got their food. You should take it easy, Nagai-kun".

Nagai smiled weakly "I think I'll do that. Thanks VP" and he departed for the restroom. Kokoro, Runa and Erude all started discussing his change in behaviour worriedly. Kai Hikari and Suzumi Midoriya were sat off to the side, alone. "The Shield Hero is really fun and charismatic. Nanami-san and I have had a great time – it's mostly been Hero conferences, and addressing the media." Mid-sentence, Suzumi put a fork covered in food in his mouth. Kai went pink, but swallowed. "Sounds great babe. Endeavour's work seems very stressful. Also, there's something else, but I'll tell you later." She smiled. Suzumi wasn't interested in hiding the nature of their relationship. Kai was a bit embarrassed, but he held her hand.

"Wowwww…. they're totally going out now." Purorakudo Gemu said in an amused tone "Did you know Jacob?".

"Not really…I have enough to worry about myself" he sighed, and a group of high school girls that were trying to look inconspicuous squealed and ran off giggling when he noticed.

"Why you!?" Gemu swooned sarcastically, "Leave some for the rest of us Leonhardt!".

"Please stop…" Jacob sank into his chair. His fight had gone viral, and it was clear to see. #Leonhardt had been trending on various social media sites already. Gemu looked at him quizzically. "I guess it's not as fun for you as it is for us. Gang Orca is brutal; We've been fighting his henchmen non-stop. At least they're not actual villains but like, it's brutal dude. Still, I've been able to use my Quirk in new fun ways". Gemu's Quirk was still a secret to everyone but his internship partner Shiroi Kiri, as he never used it in the training or tournament. Shiroi looked raggedly tired.

"Fun for you. How do you think my Mist is helpful for that? We've both had to rely on hand to hand more than our actual powers. I'm bruised all over, and I want to be in bed, right now." He said dejectedly. "Woah…that's sad." Gemu replied. The mood was killed.

Tsubaki Kamiya kept to herself, but her partner Arakawa Juene felt he should keep her company. "Are you ok, Kamiya-chan?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Kamui Woods is great, and a wonderful tactician. So, it's a shame we spend more time helping reforestation efforts and the homeless, than fighting villains." She spoke reservedly.

"Kamui Woods is for the ordinary citizens. That's his brand, and we have to respect it. This is also an aspect of Hero Work. I probably have a book on welfare, charity work and more, if you want to borrow it".

"Sure. Perhaps I will" she scoffed, and focussed on her food. Arakawa frowned, and decided to talk to someone else. Daichi Hisekawa and Kuroi Niriyama were sitting together, in relative silence.

"When I catch that phoenix bastard…I'll destroy him." Kuroi muttered.

"Indeed…we can't let such villains run rampant. We should work on our co-ordination." Daichi spoke in no particular direction.

"Yeah, try to keep up if you can".

The rest of the class were shocked, but dared not interrupt this idyllic peace between the two.

Mitsuji, Kai, Suzumi and Runa had formed a group in Nagai's absence. They were discussing the possibility of a traitor in their midst.

"I've told you all because I trust you. We need to quietly start looking for a traitor. If it can help the adults, all the better." Suzumi explained.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Mitsuji blurted out "A-about that…. Nagai-kun…" and trailed off. Everyone's eyes were on him. Slowly, he explained everything he had witnessed and heard. Everyone processed the information and looked equally troubled.

"I see…it bears looking into…" Runa spoke gravely. It seems they had their first suspect.


End file.
